Unmei Force: Encoded Memory
by Xovercreator
Summary: (Interlude between Conflicts and ? arcs.) When a simple teleportation goes wrong, Richard, Gus and four other Unmei Force members find themselves lost within a world of two realms: One digital, one real. Join their adventures, as they try to find out the source of their spiriting-away to this world, and learn a side to the story never seen. And they're not the only heroes here...
1. Prologue: Telportation and Kuro

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Prologue: Teleporters and Kuro.

A/N: Under the request of David Ishihara and the other authors in the Dimensional Heroes fandom, I have started on the side-story of Brave Adventurers' Travels: Cyber Sleuth, Hacker's Memory, since Cyber Sleuth and Hacker's Memories are basically on the same timeline, on different perspectives. This counts as a interlude before Encounters, as the first time the heroes will encounter the Dimensional Heroes, but they will never truly meet each other, only Richard would be aware of the fact. How? Wait until the story is complete, and read on to find out...

P.S: Assume that the attire of the Unmei Force members who are involved are in their attire when they were in Trillion: God of Destruction, or Roots in story terms. Even Antonio is the same, except he's wearing some light blue jeans to compensate for his need of lower clothing in human form. But you'll see why that doesn't matter much in the story...

* * *

 _In the Unmei Force's aerial fortress, at the newly constructed transfer room..._

Richard entered the room, with Gus, Elma, Reimu, Sanae, and a young boy with short blue hair, dressed in the same attire that Antonio had before, with the addition of some light blue jeans on his lower half, following him, as they all entered through a automated door, as it took them inside the room, which were filled with control panels and systems, as there were kappa engineers and some prodigious humanoid youkai operating on them, and there were futuristic teleporters linked to the back of the room, as there were reinforced energy cables sticking out of them, as the transfer pads were glowing a rainbow colour with some flashing.

As they looked around, marvelling at the organised state of the room, they were soon interrupted by the sight of their most intelligent and excelled engineer and researcher, Nitori Kawashiro, walking towards them. She was a short girl with blue hair tied into twintails and aqua-blue eyes that sparkled under the light. She has traded her casual attire for one befitting her role, as she was dressed in a light-blue researcher coat, as her trademark beret, backpack and spanner were right where they were, in her head, back and hands respectively, as well as her treasured key-shaped pendant around her neck. She was a kappa who was considered to be a savant among geniuses, and had no limits in researching the unknown.

"Hey hey, Richard! How do you like this place? I thought of it with the rest of the researchers here!" Nitori cheerfully called out, before she then smiled and puffed her chest out with some pride. "From now on, you won't have to waste your magic on trying to open the way for everyone to the other worlds. After all, as friends, it's my duty to relieve as much burden as I can. And I'm glad to see that Antonio's doing quite well being transformed into a human."

"Well..." The blue-haired boy, who was Antonio, the hedgehog who was one of Richard's closest friends, said as he looked at his hand, clenching and opening it a few times as if he was testing his own control over his body. "I'm glad that I haven't lost any of my trademark speed that I have inherited from the Blue Flash himself. After all, I can't disappoint father, no?"

"I'm quite impressed you made this during the time that we were out in the Sengoku Basara world." Richard smiled kindly, as he pat Nitori on her head gently, ruffling the hat slightly. "You must really work fast with your co-workers, no?"

"Of course! You're supported by only the best of the kappa race here! We don't fail your expectations, even if they are astronomically high!" Nitori cheered back. "But I can't delay you all any further. You said that you have the perfect test of this?"

"Un." Gus replied back with a nod. "Elma is feeling a little home-sick, so we decided to check in on Zeabolos and the other Overlords. They must be worried sick about her, despite the fact that we have managed to limit her condition to be less life-threatening, and more of a minor inconvenience."

"Well, if we're going there. I want to have my moment to raid some more treasures with Mammon. And I can't wait to rub the new treasures I found in her face." Reimu said with a evil chuckle after her last statement.

"And I can't wait to tell Levia about how her little niece is doing. She'll be surprised when she hears that Elma is getting slowly stronger than her! Not that I want to trigger her scalding envy again, that is..." Sanae added.

"Then what are we waiting for, you fools? Let's test this stuff out. It's not like that you don't have me as a back-up plan for all of this, in case the teleporter goes boom from bad cabling, eh?"

The six laugh together, as they understand the joke, as Nitori lets out a wild laugh, as she then wipes the tears of laughter from her eyes.

"There's no way that something this stupid can happen. I've outsmarted Murphy's law quite a lot of times before." Nitori sniggered. "Come on, let's see my new invention at work here!"

As they stepped onto their individual pads, Nitori then walked over to the main console that operates the teleportation system, as she then initiated the process, as she did a few key-strokes, as the pads underneath the heroes glowed brighter and brighter, as the console screen shows that the preparations are going well.

Elma seemed to be a little nervous, as she was worried about the teleportation process itself, about how it would move her to her target location, as Richard noticed that.

"Don't worry, Elma." Richard assured her with a calm smile. "It'll be just a little jolt and shake, and you'll be instantly there. No complete darkness or bad feelings."

As Nitori then pressed the button to initiate the process, the teleportation pads then emitted rainbow-coloured rings from underneath the passengers, as it kept them still in the portal, to ensure that they won't accidentally move and cause a botched attempt.

"Alright! We're all set. Making transporation in 3... 2... 1-" Nitori was about to say, before there was a distorted and cracked voice reverberating through the room.

 _H-p M-..-.._

"Huh? What in the name of Gensokyo is going on-" Nitori said, as she looked at her console, before it then sparked and crackled, as the screen turned from a optimal blue to a alert red, as it causes Nitori to jolt back with a loud surprised cry, while some of the panels and systems were shut down by a unknown source, as klaxons were heard from the room, causing the operators to panic, as they immediately worked to reverse the unknown problem immediately. This caused Elma to place her hands on her mouth in horror, as Antonio was left gaping in shock, and the others were merely surprised or scared by the events.

"Nitori, what the hell is going on-" Richard was going to ask, before there was a loud crash, as a energy pulse appeared under their feet, except the pulse was red and erratic, betraying the fact to the teleporter users that something is very wrong here.

 _P-ease... He-p me...!_

"Nitori! Shut the thing down! I know that this isn't your fault, but we can't proceed like this!" Richard cried out frantically. "If you don't, who knows what is going to happen!"

"I'm TRYING!" Nitori shouted back desperately, as she got back to the console, which was filled with a chockful of system errors, as she immediately focused on correcting each and every one of them, only for two more to pop back up for each one she solved. "I don't know what the Makai is going on, but something causes a fatal system error here! We can't fix it fast enough, even with all of us here, before the problem happens!"

"Then SHUT THE DAMN THING DOWN! SHUT IT DOWN! NOW!" Richard yelled, as he was forced to stay still like the rest of his team, as trying to escape would make things worse on them.

"I can't! The system is refusing to take my commands!" Nitori replied, as the errors were beginning to settle down. "Just... A... Little... More..."

Suddenly, the words 'FORCED ACTIVATION PROTOCOL ACTIVATED' appeared in the screen right in her eyes, as she paled, as the coordinates were revealed to a entirely unknown set of numbers.

"No! NO!" Nitori cried, as the teleporter activated itself, as the sound of a countdown were heard, starting from 10.

"Hang on, everyone! This ride is about to get bumpy!" Antonio warned everyone, as the countdown reached zero, and there was a flash of light that engulfed the room.

 _Save me... Save everyone, I beg you!_

When the light subsided, the teleporter room seemed to be unharmed, except for the damaged main console in front of Nitori, as well as some crashed system, that the technicians are trying to repair, as Nitori was left still, as she was aghast at the situation.

"What... What just happened? Why did this...?" Nitori asked herself.

* * *

 ** _My memories..._**

 ** _Important memories._**

 ** _Happy times, sad times._**

 ** _Regrettable times, fun times._**

 ** _All the memories make me who I am._**

 ** _It's not just me._**

 ** _My parents, my brothers, my friends... The people dear to me._**

 ** _Everyone has memories, and all those memories make the world what it is._**

 ** _These memories are our stories._**

 ** _Stories that exist on the boundary between the real world and cyberspace._**

 **So tell me...**

 **Do you have the will to see the truth that lies within the multitude of stories?**

 **Please... Help us... Save both of our worlds...**

 **There is not only one threat that caused all of this...**

* * *

 _Inside Kowloon..._

Richard groaned, as he woke up the cold hard light-blue holographic ground of the cyberspace district, as he opened his eyes, as he blinked it a few times, in order to clear his vision. He then sat up, as he clutched his head.

"Mother of god... Did anyone get the damn number of the truck that slammed into my head?" Richard muttered under his breath, as he looked around. "Strange... I don't recall our portal being connected to some sort of cyberspace... And it's quiet... Too quiet."

He then got up, as he looked around, as there were blue constructs made of holographic cubes everywhere, as well as some urban decorations, like a stop sign that was nearby him.

"Something about this place seems familiar... Have I seen this place before?" Richard asked himself, before he then heard some footsteps, as he immediately turned to the source.

He was met by the sight of a injured male BlackAgumon, which was a black bipedal mini-dinosaur, and a Dark Digimon, as the injured dragon limped its way to Richard, with a hateful look in his eyes.

"BlackAgumon?" Richard asked. "So this is Digimon then? And wait, why is this BlackAgumon injured? Could there be stronger Digimon nearby? I better ask him."

He then walked closer. "Hey, you okay or what? You look like you're battered-" Richard was about to ask, before the BlackAgumon then lunged at him, as Richard dodged backwards slightly, as he let out a surprised whoop.

"...I'll kill you... You won't get away with your companion injuring me like this..." The BlackAgumon wheezed, as he was limping towards Richard.

"Woah! Calm down!" Richard asked. "Companion? What are you talking about? I don't have any companions here!"

"...Liar... What about that human with Golemon..." The BlackAgumon coughed.

"Golemon...? Wait a minute..." Richard asked, before he then realised something ' _This is the time where both Cyber Sleuth and Hacker's Memory occurs, and I'm smack-dab in the begnning events of it, where Keisuke is going after Youji Shiga!_ '

Richard then shook his head. "No. That is not my companion. In fact, he's the person I am exactly after." He answered back. "Now, can you stop menacing me? It's not like that I have any means of hurting you. And you're severely injured. It'll be a waste to try and chase after me to kill me so simply."

The BlackAgumon remained silent, before he then sat down on his bottom, as he sighed deeply.

"Great... Just great... First, I get abandoned and betrayed with the other Digimon, and then I get beaten by some human just because I'm Dark-Type..." The BlackAgumon sighed.

"Betrayed? Abandoned?" Richard asked, before he then made his seat next to the BlackAgumon. "I get that feeling a lot. And I had worse, but that doesn't mean you should hate everyone."

"Why... is that? How would you feel if you were considered evil just because you're a Dark-Type? I just wanted to live a normal life. It's not my fault that I was born and evolved like this..." The BlackAgumon said with a melancholic tone.

"Then don't let their words determine who you will be." Richard answered back, causing BlackAgumon to look at the boy with a surprised look. "If I were you, I couldn't goddamn care less what the others think of me. So what if I'm a Dark-Type? That doesn't stop me from doing what I want. It's not like you wanted to do evil, right?"

"No. I wouldn't, because I believe that evil is merely a concept, just like good is." The BlackAgumon denied the idea.

"Oh? Then we have more in common than we think, little black one." Richard smiled. "What's your name?"

"I'm BlackAgumon. That's the only name that I ever known." The BlackAgumon answered back.

"...That name won't stick. There's plenty of BlackAgumon, but there's one as unique as you. How about a nickname? Say... Kuro, then?" Richard asked back.

"That sounds nice. I'm actually feeling better that you're the first human I ever met that was nice to me in this form." Kuro answered back.

"Don't worry, Kuro." Richard replied back. "You and I seem to be two peas in a pod in enough ways to be considered survivors in the same matter. How about you stick with me? I'll keep you strong, so that you'll never be prejudiced, and you'll have someone who will always have your back? What say you, Kuro?"

Kuro remained silent, before he then reached his claw out for Richard to grasp. "I accept. I never asked for your name."

"Call me Richard. It's what you should call me." Richard said, as he took the hand, and shook it softly. "If you're going to be my pal, then you deserve my real name."

They then looked at each other, before Richard sighed. "But what about your condition? I don't exactly have anything to help those wounds. I don't have any HP Capsule, nor do I have the device to help apply them on you..."

"I have something for the former." Kuro answered back, as he pulled out some HP Capsule Cs, which were light red pills with a white heart on the top half of it. "But you're right. All I can do is rely on my natural recovery for now..."

"Yeah, that's a shame. Can't lose my pal after I just got to meet him, hey?' Richard joked, as he chuckled slightly, as Kuro is left smiling as well. "I'm serious though. Let's be careful now. I'll try to find my way out of here."

"You're not from the real world? The one where the other humans come from?" Kuro asked.

"Well, it's complicated. I am from the real world, just not this one. And I need to find my other companions." Richard answered back with a sheepish rub of the back of his head.

"Heh heh... That's a good Mon. I'll take reaaaalll good care of you, don't worry." A voice was heard faraway, causing Richard and Kuro to snap their heads in the direction of it.

"That voice... THAT VOICE! IT'S HIM!" Kuro roared with fury, before he then rushed towards the source of the voice, as he jumped and leaped across the constructs.

"Kuro, wait!" Richard was about to say, before the BlackAgumon was out of his sight, and he was left alone, as he noticed a side-path that would take him in the direction where Kuro was going. "Damn it... Did he not listen to me? He's too injured to fight properly!"

He then rushed through the path, as he passed by various In-Training Digimon, who ignored him due to their childish and ignorant nature, before he arrived at the spot where he saw Kuro was going to land in, which was a round pavillion, where he saw a pair consisting of a Agumon and Gabumon were being cornered by a shady man with a black vest, red T-shirt, and grey jeans, with slicked back orange-brown hair, as he was talking to a pair of other humans, one of them was a tall and muscular man in only a green sweater-vest, with a blue jacket tied around his waist, as well as grey army jeans, and grey hair that was styled to be short and slanted, and the other was a younger boy with short raven-black hair, and calm blue eyes, wearing a long blue hoodie with the hood behind his head and zipper open to show his white shirt, as well as a visor sitting squarely on the base of his neck.

"Take a look, you don't see programs like this around here. It's got to be a rare one." The shady man continued. "Do a good job, and I'll even let you have one."

The Agumon and Gabumon let out fearful cries, as the militaristic man whispers something to his partner, before the black-haired boy then spoke in a clear and demanding tone. "Let them go."

The Agumon and Gabumon seemed to be happy, as they take advantage of the shady man's shock at the answer, as the Gabumon then turns around and cries out 'Thanks a bunch' in a gruff but cute voice.

"Hey, what are you letting them run off for?" The man asked with a annoyed tone. "Damn, and I finally chased them down! Hey, you guys, get back her-" \

Suddenly, he then hears Kuro's screams of fury, as he turns around, and gets slashed in the face by Kuro who landed on the ground, which shocks the human duo. He then gets up, clutching the wounds made on his face, as Kuro growls with hostility. "You!? That defective program that I beat up!?"

"You're going to pay for what you did to me. I'm going to tear you to pieces!" Kuro roared.

"You little piece of pathetic coding, I'll make sure that I finish the job this time!" The shady man hissed, before he pulled out a small device that looked like a fairly symmetric mini-device. "Golemon!"

At his command, something materialised in front of the man from strings of coding '1's and '0's, as it formed a bulky humanoid creature made of yellow rock, with its limbs and joints bound by white string, red eyes, and a metal mask with a belt that covers the upper half of its face.

"Get rid of this eyesore for me!" The summoner commanded, as the Golemon roared, and swung its arms at Kuro.

"Kuro! DODGE!" Richard called out, as the Digimon acknowledged his command with a head-turn to Richard, and then back-pedalling to avoid the attack.

"Huh? Who the hell are you? Some newbie who got this piece of trash?" The man asked. "You made the grave mistake of crossing me, kid!"

"You're that Youji Shiga, the one who been terrorising Kowloon for these Digimon..." Richard replied back. "Even if I have to fight with a weakened Digimon who I just bonded with, I won't let you have your way, hacker!"

"You're in over your head! Golemon, destroy them both!" Youji ordered his Digimon, as it continued to attack them.

"You're not getting one over me again! Eat this! Pepper Breath!" Kuro shouted, as he fired off a blue fire-ball from his mouth that impacted with Golemon, causing the rock construct to groan in a low pitch, before it was knocked back a few steps.

"You're really getting on my nerves! Golemon, Sulfur Plume!" Youji commanded, as the golem then opened its mouth, firing off large heated balls of noxious gas at Kuro, who was dodging almost all of the attacks, until one of them impacted with Kuro, sending him flying into a lamppost, as he slid down with his wounds worsened.

"KURO!" Richard cried, before he then saw that Golemon was lifting its hand to attack him. "Oh, for the love of-"

Kuro managed to get himself up, as he managed to rush at Golemon, tackling it right at the centre of its torso, knocking it back, as Kuro panted heavily.

"This isn't good... If you take another hit like this, Kuro... You're going to be down for good..." Richard replied back.

"I know... But I can't just let you suffer for what I have done. After all, we're pals, aren't we?" Kuro asked with a grin.

"Kuro..." Richard answered back, touched by the Digimon's words.

Suddenly, the man dressed in a vest threw a device like the one in Youji's hand, as Richard managed to catch it.

"Take this Digivice with Digimon Capture. You're going to need it." The man spoke in a serious tone. "You can't do any more without it. And I assume that you might have found some HP Capsules to restore your new partner. Use them, he seems like he'll be able to fight without our aid."

"I... Thank you, whoever you are." Richard replied back with gratitude, as he internally felt joy. _'I owe you one for this, Ryuji Mishima._ '

"What, you think that this rookie is going to bring me down? Don't make me laugh!" Youji mocked the man.

Richard immediately activated the Digimon Capture, as it showed him a menu panel with commands and options, as he immediately applied the HP Capsule C that Kuro gave him to the BlackAgumon, healing him of some injuries that disappears.

"Kuro! Don't try confronting his guy on the front! Circle around him and get on top of his head! He can't hit you from there with that attack of his!" Richard called out his strategy to Kuro.

"Got it!" Kuro shouted back, as he immediately uses his agility from his small body to get on top of Golemon's head, as the golem was left trying to sweep the BlackAgumon off his head, as he fired off Pepper Breath after Pepper Breath, until the Digimon was defeated, as it fell to the ground, dissolving into code.

"What... How could a defective Dark type Rookie beat my Golemon!?" Youji cried out in shock, as he staggered back a few steps.

Kuro then walked over to Richard, as Richard gave the BlackAgumon a claw-to-fist-bump with respect.

"Good job, Kuro." Richard complimented his partner. "You're not too bad, bringing down a Champion on your own."

"All thanks to you, Richard." Kuro said with a happy tone. "Thanks for keeping me alive there."

Soon, the man who threw Richard the Digimon Capture to him, walked towards Youji, as the shady character turned around, and jumped back with a fearful expression.

"Eeeek! Please, I beg you, don't destroy my account!" Youji begged.

"Don't worry... Our rookie, Keisuke has a bone he'd like to pick with you." The man spoke, as his partner walked over. "We'll discuss the fate of your account afterwards."

"You're the one who raided my account, didn't you!?" Keisuke replied, as he pounding his fist into his other hand in a threatening gesture.

"What are you talking about!? I don't have a clue who you are, man...!" Youji replied back, confused at Keisuke's accusation.

"Play dumb, and your account isn't the only thing we'll wreck." Keisuke's partner threatened with crossed arms.

"I'm telling the truth! I remember all the accounts that I raided, honest!" Youji pleaded. "Go on, take a look at my Digivice if you don't believe me!"

Youji then shoved his Digivice, as the man opened the control panel, as he navigated through the systems, before then closing the panel. "He's right. Doesn't look like your account is here."

He then handed Youji his Digivice back, as the orange-haired hacker merely smiled. "Heh heh, see? What did I tell you? Don't you see, I'm telling the truth. So let me go, will ya?"

"Absolutely not!" Richard roared, as he walked closer to Youji. "You're going to pay for taking the account of my friend!"

Youji doesn't even answer, as he shoves Richard to the ground, as he sprints off. "Too bad, so sad, chumps! See ya!" Youji taunted.

Before any of the three could try to intercept Youji, there was a loud grating sound, as a large orange spherical hole appears above the ground, as orange markings slowly appear, giving the portal a snail-like symbol, before a zebra-coloured cephalopod popped out of it, with with orange data markings on the edge of its tentacles, as well as bone plating in some parts of its main body, as well as a cybernetic red eye.

"Whoa! What in the!?" Youji exclaimed, as the mysterious creature appeared in front of him.

"Is that... a Digimon? No... it's not!" The militaristic man spoke.

Kuro remained silent, as he stared at the squid-like creature, as his eyes were widened with shock, as if he knew what the beast was.

Suddenly, the monster then jumped onto Youji, as it fell on top of him, while making strange grinding and sucking sounds, as Youji seems to be distressed by what is happening.

"UWWAAAAHHH! Save me!" Youji squealed.

"That thing looks dangerous... We'd better get out of here!" The man spoke, as he immediately sprinted away from Youji and the squid.

"But we have to help-" Keisuke was about to say, before Richard then grabbed Keisuke, dragging him by the shoulder.

"Screw him! That bastard gets what's coming for him!" Richard shouted. "Asshole ruined so many lives, about time he gets his messed up by someone else! Besides, I don't think this thing is controlled by anyone, so I rather not be its next target when its done with the one under it!"

"Wait! You've got to be kidding me! Don't leave me behind!" Youji screamed, before he then disappeared from both Keisuke's and Richard's sights, as there was a loud buzzing sound, as well as Youji's crazed cry of pain and agony.

They soon arrive at the entrance to Kowloon, which was indicated by a green server transfer pad on the end of the path, as the surviving trio were left trying to catch their breath.

"We should be safe this far away..." The tall man spoke, turning to Richard. "Who are you? And how did you wander into Kowloon without even a Digivice? You're lucky that you managed to bond with that BlackAgumon, and the fact that I have a spare Digivice for you to use."

"Name's... Name's Richard Lin." Richard answered back. "I don't know how the hell I got here either... All I know is I woke up here, and I managed to talk down my minute-old partner to not commit homicide on me. I owe you one though. What's you name?"

"Ryuji Mishima. I'm part of the hacker group ZAXON." Ryuji answered back, before he then pulls out a phone-like device. "Erika, Chitose, can you hear us?"

There was no reply, before Ryuji merely clicked his tongue. "...Shit, the Digital Waves here are more jumbled than before."

"What... What was that thing?" Keisuke asked with a shaky voice, recalling what it did to Youji.

"Whatever it is, it ain't something we're going to mess with for a while. Doesn't look like it was particularly after anyone, since it went for Youji, the closest. It might be something like the ghosts from Pacman. You get hit by that thing, you either get booted out of the server, or your account gets destroyed. But that's assuming it's security stuff, and it sure screams 'eldritch abomination' than 'security bot' to me." Richard gave his opinion.

"Something weird is going on in Kowloon... no, in all of EDEN lately." Ryuji added. "Hope it's nothing serious."

Keisuke then droops down in disappointment. "And I thought I managed to find the source of the problems..." He said in a sad tone.

"Don't get all mopey just because your first clue didn't lead anywhere." Ryuji scolded Keisuke. "If that guy was a bust, just start looking for the next clue. Or have you given up already?"

"...But what if I become a hacker like you, Mishima-san?" Keisuke asked back.

"I mean, that works too. You'll be seeing the type of danger you faced just almost every day." Ryuji considered the idea. "Whether you continue or not is up to you."

"I'm not stopping, Mishima-san. Not yet." Keisuke shook his head with a determined look in his eyes.

"Then enough with the long face, already." Ryuji smiled. "At least you're not alone anymore, right? And we managed to find another companion here, even though he's more clueless than you about all of this."

"You mean...!" Keisuke asked.

"Congrats, you passed the test... Just barely, but a pass is a pass." Ryuji gave the good news to Keisuke. "Welcome to Hudie, kid. You're one of us now. Let's head back to the 'shop'. Our buddies are waiting for us. By the way, Richard, since you've witnessed all of this, I'd be tempted to find ways to silence you, but you did manage to bring down Youji's personal Digimon with a newly-minted Digimon. So I think I might be able to persuade the other people to accept you into Hudie as well. What's your opinion?"

Richard remained silent, before he then nodded. "I gratefully accept." Richard simply replied, as he picked up Kuro. "Just one request, let me keep Kuro. He's bonded to me, and I don't think he'll be as nice and polite without me by his side."

"You shouldn't ask this. Of course I'll let you keep your companion." Ryuji nodded, before he then entered the server transfer pad. "I'll see you both there, as I'll give you the location of the 'shop' in a message to your new Digivice, Richard."

Ryuji then disappeared in a flash of light, as Keisuke and Richard looked at each other.

"So... I guess we're buddies now, right?" Richard asked back. "May as well work together. What's you full name, Keisuke?"

"Amazawa Keisuke. Nice to meet you, Richard." Keisuke smiled and nodded.

"Same here, same here." Richard said, before Keisuke then stepped on the pad, and disappeared on Kowloon, as Richard did the same.

* * *

 _In the internet cafe, Hudie..._

' _ **Logout successful. See you at your next login. Thank you.**_ ' The automated voice of the EDEN visor said. ' ** _EDEN is a human network connecting the world to the future, operated by Kamishiro Enterprises._** '

Keisuke then took off the visor, as he placed it on the base of his neck, as he pulled out the cable linking it to the desktop computer.

"Whew... I managed to become part of something great. Now... to head to the shop..." Keisuke said, before he then turned around, to find a very still Richard standing by the side of his chair, as his expression is very surprised and awkward.

Keisuke and Richard then looked at each other in silence, as Keisuke could not change his face from the stoic expression he had before, due to the fact that what he was seeing was beyond the processing of his own mind.

"I... I..." Richard stuttered. "I think there's more to me that meets the eye? I can't explain this even if I tried..."

Keisuke then pinched the bridge of his nose with his right hand in sheer annoyance.

' _What the hell have I gotten myself into..._ ' He thought to himself.


	2. Chapter 1: Hudie

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 1: The Hacker Group, Hudie!

* * *

 _In the Hudie Internet Cafe..._

Richard and Keisuke walk towards the entrance of the internet shop, where they met Ryuji, who was waiting by leaning on the wall nearby, as he turned to see the new hacker duo, before he is then surprised by Richard's appearance.

"That's strange. I didn't see you in any of the booths in the internet cafe." Ryuji said. "Where did you come from, Richard?"

"I'm not sure that I can explain it now, Ryuji. Because not even I have a clue as to how I got here all the sudden, much like how I had no idea how I got here." Richard sighed. "Just pay it no mind. I'll try to figure things out in a while. But we still have that meeting of the members in 'you-know-where'."

"Ah, you are right. Both of you wait in Erika's room. I'll go fetch Chitose." Ryuji said, as he got up, and walked into the corridors of the small mall that the internet cafe was located in.

"Hm... I suppose we should do what Mishima-san said." Keisuke said. "Come on, I think I remember where her room is."

He then guides Richard towards the VIP door in the small room, as they enter it, and find themselves in a long and narrow room, with a clothing hook and a umbrella vertical of each other, as the room had a few cushions and pillows, as Gus was sitting on one of them with a worried expression, before he then noticed Richard and Keisuke. The other occupant, which was a female girl with long flowing black hair and the trademark blue Hudie jacket they seen on Ryuji's waist, however, did not seem to notice them, as she was surrounded by plushs and soft toys in her nearby cabinet, and was operating a large computer with multiple screens. She was typing on a small seal-like plush, with its belly up, as it had a keyboard integrated inside of it, and there was a white gecko-like toy on her left shoulder.

"Richard?" Gus asked, as he was surprised about something.

"Gus? So that's where you have been! What the hell did you do in here?" Richard asked with a annoyed huff.

"Richard! I.. Things were quite hectic for a while. When I met Erika here... I was being assaulted by her with that keyboard plush of hers!" Gus cried. "It took her quite a lot of talking to calm her down, before she decided that she couldn't be bothering hitting me anymore..."

Erika then turned around, as her yellow eyes seemed to be quite annoyed. "Shut up, will you? I've got important business to deal with, before I continue your punishment, you sneaky intruder-"

Erika then noticed Richard and Keisuke, as she stopped typing on her seal plush keyboard, as she was surprised.

"U-Um..." Keisuke said. "Are you Erika?"

Erika growls, before she then stands up suddenly, as she stomped towards the pair, revealing the yellow blouse she left exposed in her open jacket, as well as the small fuzzy white slippers on her feet.

"Who the...!?" Erika hissed, as she lifted her seal-plush keyboard with both of her hands like a bat, as Keisuke and Richard took a step back, worried about what Erika was about to do to them. "How dare you enter my room without my permission!"

She then immediately swung the plush down fiercely on the two of them, as Richard was forced to use his arms to block any attempts made for his head, only to be hit in the gut several times over, while Keisuke was unable to defend at all from the brutal onslaught of blows.

"Stop! Mishima-san told us to come here!" Keisuke cried out. "We didn't mean to come in without permission, but your brother let us go in!"

Erika then stopped, as she looked at Richard and Keisuke with suspicious yellow eyes, before sighing. "Huh? My big brother told you to come?"

"Y-Yes. He did." Richard answered back, coughing a few times to get rid of the shock of being hit in the stomach so many times over.

"Well, that doesn't mean you can waltz into here without knocking, you dummies!" Erika roared, as she continued her attack, as Keisuke tried to cover his head.

However, in the midst of her wild and furious swinging, Erika hit her plush keyboard on one of the walls, resulting in a loud crack, as Erika became shocked, stopping her swinging, as she looked at the seal plush that was her keyboard, as she seemed to be filled with guilt.

"Aaaah! Memetan! My Memetan is hurt!" Erika cried, as she clutched her 'Memetan' plush keyboard in her arms.

"Meme...tan?" Keisuke asked, as he got out of his defensive posture.

"Memetan is this stuffed animal here. It's my input device for my user interface..." Erika explained, before she then cuddled the small lizard plush on her shoulder. "And, and this here on my shoulder is Toto, my output device. And those slippers are memory..."

She then began to hold 'Memetan' harder, as tears began to form on her eyes. "Memetan.. Oh my sweet Memetan..." She sobbed, as she sniffed gently.

"It was a surprise that she didn't break it when she slammed it on me for so long... Perhaps I might have contributed to the damage." Gus said, before he then got up. "Look, I'm sorry. I'll try and help to fix it, okay? You've got so many other 'friends' with you. They'll keep you in company while Memetan recovers, alright? So please, don't cry..."

Erika merely remained silent, as she looked down at Memetan in mourning.

"Sorry for the wait." Ryuji replied, as he came in through the door, with someone else with him. The new figure was a slender Japanese man with wavy golden hair that covered one of his eyes, as he wore his Hudie coat by the collar, as the rest was left flapping behind him like a cape, with a black and white long-sleeved coat on his body, as well as black jeans and white sneakers on his feet.

"Hey, good job out there! Sounds like you have a rough time of it." The newcomer spoke in a friendly and warm tone, before he notices the downcast Erika. "Huh? What's with the little lady's living statue routine?"

"He seems to be quite upset about hitting her Memetan against the wall, when she tried to punish my friend and his companion here." Gus informed the blonde.

"Aw, don't tell me that's what's taken the wind out of your sails, Erika. Here, let me have a look." The blonde spoke, before turning to Richard and Gus. "And I haven't learnt about you two yet. You, however, I know, because you were the one who took down Shiga's Golemon with a newly-bonded BlackAgumon and a lot of HP Capsule Cs. About you, however, I have no clue who you are."

"Ah, let me explain." Richard answered back. "My name is Richard Lin. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. The friend you're referring to is Gus Willshire, who is my foreigner pal. He's a fluent Japanese speaker and understander, so don't be worried about the language barrier between the locals and him. Besides, since I'm going to be a hacker of Hudie with your new rookie Keisuke, I wanted to greet my new superiors."

"Uh, it's a pleasure to meet you as well..." Gus added, with a apologetic bow. "I ended up here by accident, and I don't think I can explain it in words, but if we wait until your friend Erika recovers from her melancholic state, she can testify my sudden appearance here."

"It's no problem. I'm in no rush to get your stories straight." The friendly guy answered back, before he took Memetan, unzipping the belly zipper, exposing its electronic components, before he then examined it closely with a few curious hums, before he closed the plush's zipper with a smile. "There's barely even a scratch on it! It'll get fixed up in no time flat! Cheer up, little lady!"

"...No way, Memetan's my best friend, and I let her get hurt..." Erika moaned. "The pain in her heart will never heal."

"It's your fault for swinging her around like that, Erika." Ryuji scolded his younger sister with a stern tone. "I'm the one who told Keisuke and Richard to come to your room. It's my fault for not telling you. So go on, apologise to them."

"...Will you get me that new PC that I wanted? The one you said 'no' to before?" Erika asked in a quiet voice.

Ryuji only facepalmed at his sister's attempt to try and divert the subject, as Richard was barely stifling a laugh.

"Fine, I'll buy it." Ryuji sighed. "But apologise to them first."

Erika then smiled, as she then turned to Richard and Keisuke. "Sorry for hitting you like that, Keisuke and Richard. But it's still your fault for being so rude in the first place." She spoke in a sweet tone. "And as for you..."

Erika then walked over to Gus, before she then backhanded Gus right in the balls, as the brown-haired magician was left with a expression of pure agony, as he fell to the ground in a fetus position, clutching where the critical blow hit him, as Richard let out a sympathetic hiss, as Keisuke was shocked at Erika's brutal action, while the blonde was left with a open jaw at the audacity of Erika, while Ryuji was even surprised as well at his sister's final action before she returned to work, sitting down and typing on her Memetan.

"Before you ask, he deserved it." Erika spoke, not taking her eyes off the monitor. "He acted like a total creep, and his words were merely making me feel more nervous. And I did say that I wasn't done with his punishment, but I don't want to hurt Memetan further, so... I went for the most drastic and short measure to save myself some time."

Richard then looked down at Gus with a appalled expression.

"Gus, how could you?" Richard asked in a betrayed tone. "Words means nothing if your body movements suggest another to someone who is as sensitive as her!"

"Duly... noted... Arrgh..." Gus groaned in pain, as he took the moment to recover from the crippling strike he was dealt.

"Well, look at that smile... That's big bro to you... Ehehehe..." The blonde Hudie member spoke with a awkward tone, before regaining his composure from what just happened. "Although, you act more like her dad than her brother. Pfft, kinda lame when you think about it."

"Shut it. Erika, have you finished analysing Shiga's account?" Ryuji asked.

"Yeah, just about." Erika responded back,as the chime of a success access attempt was heard from her monitor. "The account is pulling up errors. That thing must have been some sort of bug."

"Uhhhh, I've never heard of a bug that eats accounts, have you?" The other Hudie member asked.

"Me neither. We'd better report this to ZAXON." Ryuji nodded, answering the question.

"Read my mind." The blonde threw his hands up in the air in mock cheer. "Still, this means the case from ZAXON is finished! Oh, and I forgot to ask, how did the newbie's test go?"

"Oh yeah, he passed." Ryuji nodded. "And Richard gets automatic pass, since he's got a Digimon partner powerful enough to take down a Champion in its Rookie form. He'll be helpful in providing force for our investigations in the near future."

"Really!? Double initiations?" The blonde spoke with surprise. "Good job, you two! Welcome to Hudie! We gotta do something to commemorate the occasion, since it's the first time it has happened in our team's history! Allow me to re-introduce myself. I'm Chitose Imai, welcome to you all. I've known Ryuji and the little lady, Erika, his sister, for ages now. I'm in charge of collecting data on this team. Was that Hummingbird I gave you before useful? Hit me up if you dig that stuff, I've got more malware like it! Next, we have the leader of the bunch..."

"Ryuji Mishima. And that's enough about me." Ryuji simply introduced himself.

"Erika... Erika Mishima." Erika replied back, as she is absorbed in her various hacking attempts.

"I think that you, Keisuke, are familiar know this already. But just for you, Richard and Gus, since you'll need to know our goal and purpose." Ryuji said. "Us 'Hudie' guys are a team of hackers contracted for work in EDEN."

"No case too big, no case too small!" Chitose added a witty remark. "From hacking to finding lost articles, we do it all. We take on private jobs, but our biggest client is ZAXON. I'm sure you heard of them, right?"

"Sort of. And I see where this is going..." Richard answered back.

"Sweet, glad you're at least aware of them, Richard." Chitose smiled.

"ZAXON doesn't forgive maligant hackers looking to troll EDEN. They think that hacking ability should be used to protect EDEN." Ryuji explains what ZAXON's ideals are, as Gus solemnly nods in agreement, despite some of his crippling pain still remaining, as he slowly gets up, mostly fine after taking a moment of rest to recover.

"The reason we take cases from ZAXON is somewhere in the same ballpark." Chitose continued, as he pulled out a hand, counting off the rules of the hacker group. "Hudie Code #1: Don't support evil deeds! We're allies of justice working at ZAXON's behest. Truth is, it's our job to stop anyone from running amok in EDEN! Now that you're both part of our group, you better not cause any trouble either, y'hear? And no provoking ZAXON. Remember, the customer's always right!"

"Can't say that either of them seems like the type to do that, Chitose." Ryuji frowned.

"Heh, yeah. That's for sure. This guy, Keisuke, dived into Kowloon in search for the hacker who stole his account. And this guy, Richard, stood up to Youji Shiga with a fresh BlackAgumon, just because he was worried about his new partner." Chitose agreed.

"I think that just covers it, don't you? They can learn the rest as things go." Ryuji concluded their meeting with the new members. "Speaking of which, do you wish to join us as well, considering that you've got no choice but to listen on the matters. And you're Richard's friend, so you can help him in his work."

"I'd do so, Mishima-san." Gus answered back with respect.

"Good. Chitose, Erika. One of you explain how 'boards' work for them." Ryuji said, as he walked to the door. "We'll go report to ZAXON after we are done."

Keisuke then sees Ryuji leave, as he then turns to Chitose. "Imai-san... Where did Ryuji go?" He asked politely.

"Where did he go? They didn't tell you?" Chitose replied back. "This net-cafe is a brother-sister operation. Ryuji's just inside, taking care of things."

"Whoa... That's quite neat." Gus answered back with awe.

"It's a source of income and our secret hideout. Two birds with one stone, right?" Chitose smirked. "The girl who works here aren't bad on the eyes, either. But I got dibs, so hands off! Anyway, I doubt Erika is going to help you two, considering the trouble of having to clarify things to two, no, three new people. So let me help. Come on now, follow me."

Keisuke merely looks at Erika for a moment, as he was pondering about how diligently Erika was working, before Richard then dragged him by the collar.

"Admire Erika in your free time, Keisuke." Richard spoke. "We've got more pressing matters to deal with."

Keisuke nodded, as Richard let go of him, and they continued to another booth, where Chitose was waiting inside for them, as Keisuke takes his seat, as Richard and Gus stand side-by-side.

"Welcome to Newbie Education 101, brought to you by yours truly!" Chitose said, with a mock stern tone. "Listen carefully, Mr Bit Part, because you're going to be the example for the others."

"Mr Bit Part?" Keisuke asked back in a confused manner.

"Huh? You don't get it?" Chitose asked. "That's weird... I mean, you and I are cool now, so I thought I'd give you a nickname to match that background-extra-nobody-special look of yours..."

"How about Spectre?" Richard suggested. "It's quite clever, considering that Keisuke might end up being a powerful guy who strikes from the midst of crowds and shadows, waiting to bring justice at the moment of weakness from the criminals!"

"Why, you're getting a favour from me for doing such a monumental thing for me!" Chitose whooped. "Back on topic. I don't think I need to explain this one to you. This may look like your run-of-the-mill computer, but this is the login terminal of this shop. You just need to do a little trick here..."

Chitose then walked over, as he placed a black USB with blue butterfly symbols all around it, as he then typed a few keys in, as the innocent-looking shop site, with a cute butterfly mascot on top, immediately gave way in a flash of pixels, for the Hudie terminal, which the background was a urban wall with graffiti and a more naughty-faced version of the shop mascot seen peeking from the pile of graffiti, before a board of threads appeared on the screen.

"These are Bulletin Boards. The site you see on the screen now belongs to Hudie. Cases for the team are registered on it, up to our page." Chitose explained the board to Keisuke. "All kinds of people write on this board, but it's up to us to decide which cases to take. Any of us can take a case. Run it solo, or team up with someone, it's no problem. Still, for the real tough ones, being in a team is a recommended choice. And then it's up to the leader whether we take it or not."

He then pointed to a few threads with a certain common point. "Dunno where they come from, but sometimes Ryuji brings us jobs from somewhere outside the board. I know it's tooting my own horn, but we're good at what we do. Plenty of variety in the cases, too! Cracking prevention, firewall construction, tracking down back hackers, the list goes on and on. You're all lucky to be picked by Ryuji. There's no better place to be if you're trying to track down a hacker. Who knows, Keisuke, you might even get a lead on the criminal you're after just by taking one of our cases here at Hudie."

"Then what brings you here, Imai-san?" Keisuke asked back.

"Well, I got my reasons. Polishing my hacking skills, for one." Chitose answered back with a simple answer.

"No, really, what else? What makes you the unique woman-lover in this group?" Gus asked.

"Hmph. If I had to say... bringing happiness to all the women of the world. How's that for a reason?" Chitose answered again, a little annoyed at being prodded for the particular reason. To tell you the truth, I became a hacker like this because I couldn't refuse a certain girl! Heh!"

"I see..." Keisuke answered back. "Well, that's quite nice."

"Why, thank you, Keisuke. It's quite nice you're not making this more awkward for me." Chitose thanked the young hacker. "Go and have a look at the cases we set for you. While you do, I'll go with Ryuji to report to ZAXON. And don't worry, these are all easy ones."

Chitose then left, as Keisuke browsed the small handful of requests that he was tasked with trying.

"Nakano and Ikebukuro..." Keisuke answered back. "I don't think you guys will be fit to do all of this. Could you both wait here?"

"Sure, Keisuke. But mind if I borrow that visor of yours?" Richard asked. "I need to try something."

Keisuke hesistated for a moment, before he then handed the EDEN visor to Richard.

"Alright. I have my credentials on it, so you can access it. Just remember that you're going to be using my avatar, so be careful on what you do, okay?" Kensuke answered back. "And I won't be for too long, so don't wander too far in EDEN."

"Duly noted." Richard said, as Kensuke and Richard swapped their positions in the chair, as Keisuke immediately left through the cafe's door, while Richard sat down, sliding the EDEN visor on his head.

' _ **Welcome back, Keisuke Amazama, to EDEN. How may I help you?**_ ' The visor's voice rang into Richard's ears.

"Log me in, please." Richard answered back, as the visor turned red and white, as Richard's mind was transferred to EDEN, with Keisuke's avatar, as Gus suddenly disappeared from the world, without Richard or anyone noticing the sudden disappearance.

* * *

 _In the EDEN Entrance..._

Richard, in Keisuke's avatar, landed in the massive community area, which was filled with various kinds of people, as there were white building around, as well a large skyscraper in front of them.

"So I can access EDEN in place of Keisuke... Check." Richard answered back. "Now, for that theory..."

Richard then looked to his back, then to his side, before he saw that Gus was on his right side, bewildered how he appeared with Richard, despite not having a EDEN visor with Richard, which caused the avatar to smile.

"Yep, it's a fact now... We're player two to Keisuke when he dives in EDEN." Richard smirked. "This just made things a little interesting..."


	3. Chapter 2: Malware and Kowloon

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 2: Malware Maintenance and Return to Kowloon

* * *

 _In the EDEN Entrance..._

"What did you say before?" Gus asked, as he turned to Richard, in Keisuke's avatar. "That we're 'player two' to Keisuke?"

"Well, it seems we're beings blurred between the boundary of the real world and the digital world, thus explaining our sudden appearances in our respective places." Richard replied. "If someone logins into EDEN in a very, very nearby vicinity, like you being so close to me when I tried out that EDEN visor, we kind of 'join their session' in a more metaphorical sense. But let's not dawdle on that. I need to get some information for Keisuke while we wait for him. I'll do my best not to act out of his character using his avatar. Stay here for a moment. I need to do some early work for Keisuke."

Richard then walked around, as he looked at the various kinds of people around, before he then met a male businessman, who seemed to be quite nervous about something.

"I just got a job in EDEN! Today's my lucky day, but I'm so really nervous..." The businessman muttered to himself.

"Um, excuse me, sir." Richard asked in a polite manner. "Mind if I ask if you have the URL to several areas? I don't quite recall where my friend went, and I don't have the right URLs to get into the areas."

"Oh! You must be someone who's taken their first trip in EDEN! I completely understand what you're going through." The businessman smiled, before he then typed a few things into Keisuke's digivice, that Keisuke was carrying. "I don't have much, but try this one. It's the most common meeting point in EDEN."

"Thank you. I hope that you'll be successful." Richard thanked the businessman with a nod.

He then returned, as he shook his head.

"Well, at least we have the URL where Erika would be at, for the other request." Richard huffed. "Come on, Gus. We're logging out."

"Right." Gus answered back.

They both entered the server transfer pad, and disappeared from the EDEN community.

* * *

 _In the internet cafe Hudie..._

Richard then returned back to the real world, as he took off the EDEN visor on his head, as it gave off its farewell message, and placed it on the table, as Gus was back where he was when Richard dived into EDEN with him.

"And now... We play the waiting game..." Richard said, as he leaned his chair back, and went into a light nap.

After a while, Keisuke soon appeared, as Gus saw him come, and approached him. 'Oh, Keisuke. Richard just went for a quick tour of the EDEN Entrance while you were gone, and managed to get a URL for another area when he was there. How was your trip?" Gus asked back.

"It's quite a long story..." Keisuke answered back. "It'll take a while, but since we have some time, I'll try to summarise things for you."

Keisuke then went on to explain about what he saw in his trips to Nakano and Ikebukuro, meeting his friend Yu, as they talked about things, before he found the Kuremi Detective Agency, where she met a blond woman named Kyoko Kuremi, who was the manager, and the detective that he bumped into before he had his test to join Hudie, as she spoke in cryptic statements, which left him more confused than ever. Going to Ikebukuro, he met a strange group of girls chased by a very exhausted boy, Kenji, who he talked to for a while, who seemed make things tense, by first calling him 'having trouble with women'. He then met the girls, who called themselves the 'Inoden Occult Research Club', as they pestered him with questions. Finally, just at the door of Hudie, he met a old detective named Gorou Matayoshi who seems to know Ryuji and Chitose as a 'acquaintance', before he then warned Keisuke to stay out of trouble, and tell Ryuji that he stopped by, before laughing off his warning as a mere jest.

"I see... That is a lot of things you had to deal with, Keisuke..." Gus answered back. "You sure you were fine without us?"

"Yeah, it was a little weird at times, but I was okay with it. Plus, you guys did help me a little wandering EDEN for a while." Keisuke answered back, before he then noticed Richard lightly asleep in the chair. "Is he..."

"He's just resting." Gus replied, before he then waved a hand over Richard, as the wind made from the hand-flapping woke him up gently. "Up and at them, Richard. Keisuke's back."

"Huh?" Richard asked, before he then blinked his eyes a few time. "Oh. Keisuke. I believe Gus told me what a good job I did for you. It's not much, but it'll save you the trouble of having to pester others for some URL."

"I see." Keisuke said, as Richard exited the chair, and Keisuke sat down, accessing the hidden Hudie site, and marking both of the requests he was assigned with as completed.

When he did so, he received a communication from Chitose on his phone. "Hey! How did your cases go? Oh, you finished two already? Wow, excellent job! Then... would you accompany the little lady to EDEN?"

"You mean Erika? She's going in there herself?" Keisuke asked back.

"Some of my malware is set up around EDEN, but it's delicate and requires periodic maintenance." Chitose continued. "Neither Ryuji or I can go until we finish our report to ZAXON. So I need you to go on patrol, and check on the malware while you're at it!"

"But, about what just happened... Won't she hold a grudge?" Keisuke said with a worried tone.

"Don't worry, she's over it already! Go on, now! This is an order from yours truly!" Chitose assured Keisuke. "I've already told the little lady, so she'll have logged in already. Meet her at the main entrance. Thanks in advance, and ask the little lady for the deets as well, ok?"

Chitose then hanged up, as Keisuke slid on the EDEN visor, as he logged in with Richard and Gus by his side.

* * *

 _At the EDEN Entrance..._

Richard, Keisuke, and Gus appear together in the small area, as Keisuke was back in his avatar body, while Richard was back in his own as well. When he noticed that Gus was there with Richard, Keisuke merely looked him for a moment, before sighing.

"He has the same 'gift' as you do, Richard?" Keisuke asked.

"Yes, and I found out what the 'gift' implies. You know those games where any extra players can join in on one player's session at any time during it?" Richard said. "I think we're like that, as we're your 'sidekicks' or 'extra players' each time you log-in. When you log-in with us nearby, we transfer from the real world to EDEN, and vice versa for log-out. So think of us as your... companions."

"Fair enough." Keisuke answered back. "I don't want to hurt my head thinking about all of this. Let's just find Erika for now."

Keisuke then called for Erika on his own phone, only for there to be no response, as Keisuke shook his head. "She's not responding to my call, so I don't think she would be around this server area." He said, dejected.

"Then how about we try the area the nice businessman gave me?" Richard asked. "I think we'll have better luck there."

"Sure, it's better than wandering this place." Keisuke answered back.

They then step on the server transfer pad, as they head to a different area.

* * *

 _In the EDEN Free Area..._

The group found themselves in a radically different zone than the entrance, as it looked like a flat construction site, with walls and safety cones everywhere. They then continue down the aisle, before they find Erika in one of the areas not blocked off by the various walls.

"How long have you been here, Erika?" Keisuke asked.

"Um, since you logged in to EDEN." Erika intoned back.

There was a moment of silence between the two of them, before Richard interrupted.

"Ah. That's not too long then." Richard said with a friendly tone, trying to break up the silent atmosphere with some words. "Let's go and check the malware that Chitose talked about then.""

"Let me just ask: You know what malware is, don't you?" Erika asked both Keisuke and Richard.

"Well..." Keisuke trailed off.

"I do know the general meaning and idea of malware... But I never heard of your unique brand of it, so I'm not sure." Richard honestly answered the question.

"My poor head..." Erika rubbed her forehead with a hand, annoyed at Keisuke's lack of knowledge. 'You really did use one without knowing what it was... Malware is a special virus program made by executing a process on Digimon Programs."

"Digimon?" Richard asked. "You mean like Kuro, the 'BlackAgumon' that Ryuji and Chitose were talking about?"

"Yes. He is one." Erika confirmed the fact. "This kind of programming has always been Chitose's forte. Area survelliance, scanners, log of users passing through... These little guys are installed all around EDEN, each with their own special skills. My brother thought up this method since waiting for a case to come in before gathering info already puts us behind schedule. However, if these malware how the slightest abnormality, they'll be caught by security, so maintenance is absolutely necessary."

"Hm... Even so..." Gus answered back, as he wasn't happy about what the malware was used to do.

"I'm not saying that Chitose's programming is shabby or anything. It's just that EDEN's admin team is comprised of the best engineers, plus there are brilliant hackers in other teams like ZAXON. There's even that unidentified hacker 'Mr. Navit' around, so we got to be extra careful, okay?" Erika continued on.

"Right. Just show us how it's done, Erika." Richard answered back. "I promise that we'll try to give you less of a headache at our ineptitude."

Erika then smiled a little. "Well, that's nice, I guess." Erika replied back, a little warmer in her voice than before.

"By the way, Erika. I noticed that you were sounding a little happy and joyous when you were explaining the malware to us." Keisuke answered back. "Mind if I ask why?"

"It's fun. I like programs, the Digital World, EDEN. In this world, I'm.. I'm free." Erika responded back. "And you, Keisuke? Do you like EDEN?"

"Yeah." Keisuke nodded.

"All right, then let us get started." Erika replied, as she led them back to the server transfer pad, where they returned back to the entrance.

* * *

 _At the EDEN Entrance.._

As Erika left the server transfer pad, Richard, Gus and Keisuke immediately followed after her, as they meet her at the corner, where a well-hidden Poyomon, which looked like a very cute jelly-fish like ghost with spherical shining black eyes.

"Okay, it's moving properly." Erika said, as she backed away from the Poyomon, who was swaying gently side to side.

"This... This Digimon?" Keisuke asked back.

"I told you we modded Digimon, right? This guy here is 'Spider Wasp', the malware installed here." Erika introduced the Poyomon who acted as their malware. "It monitors users that pass through. Small Digimon like this one are quite versatile and can be made into good malware. Large Digimon boast tremendous strength and processing power, but they're easy to spot and not great as malware."

"...Because by that logic, they'd be the brute force of the hackers, smashing firewalls, and other digital defences to pieces with their immense strength, right? So that's why large Digimon are a necessity as well, Erika?" Richard suggested his opinion.

"Yes, that is right, Richard. But for now, you won't know what kind of Digimon fall into that category yet." Erika said. "Moving on, the both of you have your Digimon with you, right?"

"Yeah." Richard answered back. "I've got Kuro, and I think Chitose transferred some low-grade stuff to treat my Digimon with."

"I still have that Tentomon that I rescued before, if I read his classification on the Digivice correctly. Will that do?" Keisuke asked back.

"Then that means you two will be on escort duty for a while." Erika answered back. "I think you'll need a while for Ryuji to find another Digivice that you can use, Gus."

"Yeah... It's a shame that I won't be able to fight using my-" Gus was about to say, before Richard immediately covered his mouth, surprising the brown-haired magician.

"Don't mind him, he's a little out of his mind recently, since you can see from our attire. He has this obsession that the uniform will give him powers to fight back with." Richard quickly covered up for Gus.

"Well, there's never been a case of attires being more than just cosmetics..." Erika replied. "I'll take your word of it."

Erika and Keisuke then lead the group, as Richard jerked Gus by the ear.

"What the fuck are you trying to do, Gus?" Richard harshly whispered to his friend. "Now's not the time to speak of our true origins yet! Show, not tell, you scatterbrain. We're only fighting back if we're really in life-threatening danger!"

"But..." Gus whispered back.

"No buts." Richard hissed back, before he then loosened his tone a little. "Look, if you're worried about having no protection, I'll try and get a Agumon for you. It would be nice if Kuro has a light-side partner. Perhaps the two might become rivals in time."

"...I'll trust you on it, Richard." Gus replied. "I'm just... a little uneasy about being in this world."

"We'll make our way back, but first... We have a threat to deal with... And our friends to find." Richard answered back.

They soon regroup with Erika and Keisuke, as they leave the entrance one by one.

* * *

 _In the EDEN Community Area..._

The group find themselves in a different area, as it seems to be not much different to the entrance, with the exception of the walkable area being a pavilion linked by stairways on either end to a high platform, with a board reporting all of the latest news in EDEN. They then head down to the pavillion, as they find a Botamon, which was a black furry blob with ear-like stubs on top of it, hidden closely behind a set of chairs.

"There's a... weird error in this malware." Erika reported the malware's status. "This malware is 'Scorpion Wasp'.. It surveys the entire area, but it appears to have sensed something 'undetectable'... This analyser can't terminate it, causing an error. All of you, go gather information around here. I want to know what the guy saw."

The other members wasted no time in talking with the people scattered across the area, as they heard of a room in Kowloon where people just disappear, a purple-maned witch that wanders cyberspace, and a cat that is seen in Kowloon, as they return to Erika.

"So I see... These stories. I have heard other strange occult stories around, but all of them point towards Kowloon." Erika answered back. "Well, good thing I have some decent escorts. Let's go check Kowloon out. Here's the URL for it."

She then sends the URL for the first level of Kowloon, where Keisuke and Richard first met each other with Ryuji.

"I'm interested to see what these phenomena truly are." Erika answered back. "We have to determine the underlying cause, no matter what it is. I initialised the malware here, but the same error will occur again and again if the same phenomenon returns here."

"Then let's go." Keisuke said, as he made his way to the server transfer pad, as the others followed shortly after, to head for the first level of Kowloon.

* * *

 _In the first floor of Kowloon..._

The group find themselves on the server transfer pad of the underground cyberspace passage, as Keisuke summons his Tentomon to his side, while Richard summons Kuro to his side.

"About time, it was boring and dull in there!" Kuro cried, before he noticed the new people he never seen before. "Um, who are these guys?"

"The one with me is my friend, Gus. And the other one is our new companion, Erika." Richard explained. "You be nice to them, alright? They're my friends from now on."

"...If you say so. If they're your friends, then they're my responsibility to help." Kuro answered back, as he looked at the Tentomon. "Huh. I guess I have a teammate of some sort. That feels... nice actually."

"Well, you are welcome." The Tentomon buzzed in a vibrating voice.

They then continued down the path, as Erika had her user interface out, as she was looking for any tell-tales signs of hacking in the vicinity, such as abnormalities in the system.

"This is the rumoured hacking spot. I don't see any signs of hacking here..." Erika muttered to herself, before she then turned around and saw a white cat that was sitting in front of the group. "No way... A cat! There really is a cat here!"

Soon the cat turned around, and sprinted away from them. "It's getting away! After it!" Erika cried, as she ran after the snow-white kitty, as the group followed.

They soon ended up in a small playground, where they lost sight of the cat. They then split up, as they looked at each possible hiding spot, as they shook their heads when they didn't find the cat they were after. However, Keisuke, who just finished checking under the tires, found the white cat walking towards a cubhouse with a slide, as it went through the tunnel-hole installed in it, and came out as a black cat.

"Um, guys... I think you should see this..." Keisuke said, as everyone turned to see the now-black cat.

"What the..." Richard asked. "This doesn't even look like the cat we were after! Unless it must have transformed from something..."

They then saw it disappear into the tires, as they went to have a look at it together, as the white cat walked behind them without a single sound, before they turned around and saw the white cat leave the playground, and disappear after walking a short distance.

"Uh... I don't know what's going on here..." Gus admitted.

"Neither do we... " Erika said, before she then walked to where the cat disappeared, as she typed on her Memetan. "There's a link to some other place here! Is this the 'hidden room' in cyberspace!? One second, I'll establish the link. But it's strange... Impossible even. A single server shouldn't be able to handle such vast amounts of processing... Logs and traces are encrypted in real time, and it repels normal access...! So then..."

There was a short chime, as Erika placed Memetan down. "I got it! Go on in!" Erika exclaimed.

Soon, both of the digivices on Keisuke and Richard vibrated, as their screens flashed.

" ** _Access granted. User: Keisuke. Starting Transmission._** " Keisuke's digivice rang with a female robotic voice.

" ** _Access granted. User: Richard. Starting Transmission._** " Richard's digivice rang as well.

They soon disappeared in a flash of light, as it left Gus and Erika behind.

* * *

 _In the Digilab..._

Both of the Digimon users ended up in a large green round lab room, where there was a large pile of monitors and system on the centre, as well as several floating beacons with various boards on them.

"Where... Where are we?" Keisuke asked.

"...I don't know. But I think that's one occult rumour solved, if this is what the hidden room is..." Richard said.

"I'll try contacting Erika-" Keisuke answered back.

"...That won't be necessary." A calm female voice said. "How puzzling. Did someone guide you to this place?"

They turned to the source, which was a lavender-eyed and lavender-haired woman in a bartender's uniform in black and white, with a purple bow on her collar, as there was a computer clasped under her right arm, and she had thin glasses over her eyes.

"Was it your fate? An offshoot of 'the other one's fate'? Or perhaps..." The woman continued. "You already been guided in the first place here. It must be of some importance. In any case, you arrived at this place. I welcome you to the Digilab, as the administrator of this place."

"Then what is your name, administrator?" Richard asked.

"My name is Mirei Mikagura." Mirei introduced herself with a adjustment of her glasses. 'From here, I've watched over the 'crossroads of fate'... but I didn't expect another fork to appear. I have to admit, even I am surprised. About this place, it has a faint connection with the Digital World, a paradise for Digimon. As of yet, there is no need to teach you about it. You will learn when you must what the time is right. So let us leave it at that. For now, let me explain what kind of place this is once more."

"Oh?" Richard questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Do tell."

"Oh, don't worry. Just an inside joke... Heheh..." Mirei chuckled. "Anyway, you will know what to do, when you access each of the functions that are laid before you."

Keisuke face-faulted at Mirei's attempt to tease them, as Richard nodded. _'Well, at least she has a sense of humour here._ ' Richard thought.

They then checked the various functions before them, as they learned about what their respective Digimon could evolve to, and what the conditions were to be able to achieve the related Digivolution. They then went for the customised server transfer pad, as Mirei walked up to them to have a few more words before their departure.

"Seems like you understand the DigiLab now." Mirei said, as both of them nodded. "It may seem like a fluke, but there must be some meaning behind both of your arrivals here. Make good use of these facilities and deepen your interactions with the Digimon. You will never know when you will find the one fated to be your Digital partner. And take this, both of you."

She then entered a few inputs into her laptop, as their Digivice received a 'Hacking Skill', as shown on the screen.

"Hacking skills shine in combination with Digimon use, but are dangerous if used for unscrupulous purposes." Mirei warned them both about their new power. "Still, unlike 'the other one', Keisuke Amazama, you seem to be a true hacker, so I suppose it goes without saying. It looks like that it wasn't just your fate, but another source of help that guided you here. The girl in white. Even now, she tries to get hold of this place. Do ask her to pace herself. This place may seem like your virtual world, but it is actually completely different. You'll never be able to analyse it using your protocols. You seem different to the 'other one', so I've made a separate entrance for both of you. Feel free to use it at any time. When you arrive at an impasse upon the road you must walk, turn to the bonds with the Digimon you have raised for support. The power will surely change your fate, perhaps even the fates of others.

She then smiled at the duo. "I'll see you later. Take care!" Mirei cheerfully sent them off.

"Thanks, I appreciate the help you offered, Mirei. Same to you." Keisuke answered back, as he disappeared from the DigiLab, as Richard was about to step on to leave as well.

"Wait. Richard Lin, is it?" Mirei asked.

"Yes, Mirei Mikagura? What brings you to speak with me after Keisuke has left?" Richard asked back respectfully.

"I will tell you something that you must learn immediately..." Mirei said, before shifting to a serious tone. "...You and your friends are not the only ones that exist outside here. You will know the names 'Sachiko' and 'David' in time..."

Richard was surprised at what Mirei was saying, as if the statement was a huge shock to him, before he then calmed down immediately. "I'll keep that in mind, Mirei. Take care of this place, because we'll visit it often to keep our Digimon happy and powerful. You might meet some new people that I might share the link to here for, but you already know they'll be only my companions." He bid his farewells, as he transported out.

"...Such strange ones... Two pairs of wheels of fate are now visible to my eyes, one pair that begin to turn in completely different directions. And another... Their teeth are coming closer and closer together... They will grind their teeth against each other in world-breaking friction. This may be proof that everything, not just this world, has expanded beyond my expectations. I'll ascertain the hidden potential that lies within each and every one of you, and the Digimon that you have created a sense of friendship and bond with my own eyes..." Mirei said to herself in a solemn tone.


	4. Chapter 3: Digivolution and Wormmon

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 3: Digivolution and Wormmon

* * *

 _Back at Kowloon's first level..._

Richard and Keisuke reappeared in a flash of light, as Gus was surprised at their return, while Erika was not impressed.

"Richard? Keisuke? Where did you two go?" Gus asked, as he seemed to be bewildered by their sudden disappearance and reappearance.

"Oh, you're back." Erika commented.

Suddenly, there was a loud alarm, as it caused Richard and Keisuke to jolt stiffly straight. " ** _Illegal process discovered. Illegal process discovered. Come to the security centre at once._** "

Erika immediately pulled up Memetan, as she typed a few commands into the EDEN user interface, as the alarm immediately cut itself mid-dialogue. "So... Where did you go?" She asked.

"I... It's some place called the Digilab." Keisuke answered back. "I don't know what to say, but I think this place is strictly for the both of us... for now at least."

"So I sent you there without knowing you went to that place?" Erika replied. "Hey, I wanted to go myself, but I kept getting repelled. I lost track of you en route, too."

"So that explains why the woman inside told us to not bother contacting you, it won't work at all." Richard recalled what Mirei told them at the start.

"I also want subjective data. What you observed with your own eyes. What was over there?" Erika questioned the two.

Richard and Keisuke looked at each other, before they then did their best to explain it, as they took turn explaining everything about the facilities inside, their functions, and the woman, Mirei Mikagura.

"Hm... I see. Well, that's enough. Let's go." Erika responded.

"Wait, but aren't you curious about Mirei?" Keisuke asked back. "She seemed to have a clue about who you are though!"

"Not really. My conjecture was pretty much on the ball, so from the story, I'd have to guess that you met that 'purple-maned cyber witch' that we heard about." Erika concluded. "She must be a remarkable hacker, to do all this with a simple server. Everything adds up if you put them together. The reason we can't perceive the hidden room in Cyberspace is because she keeps it moving around. You can't do that in a place like EDEN without massive processors. See, they weren't tales of the occult after all, just the works of a very experienced hacker."

"But still, the cat... What was it?" Gus asked.

"The cat? If we analyse the log, we'll see that it was a..." Erika trailed off.

"...A Digimon, but what kind though?" Richard asked. "Could it be someone else's?"

"Right. Then it's time we leave, and report back to Ryuji and Chitose." Erika nodded.

Before they could move, they heard a whiny shriek, as they turned to the source of the sound.

"That scream came from inside that place! Let's move!" Richard said, as he immediately dashed, as Kuro rushed after him, while Keisuke and his Tentomon followed after, with Erika and Gus behind him.

They soon see a cowering and wounded Wormmon, which was a small green centipede-like monster with purple claws and pincers, as well as a strange pink-purple symbol on its head, menaced by a Waspmon, which was a cybernetic wasp with red spikes on its abdomen and verniers in place of its wings, as well as the stinger being a three-pronged claw.

"What... huh!? A Digimon is attacking another Digimon?" Erika asked in shock.

"Nngggyeeeppp! I'm done feeerrr!" The Wormmon cried out loud.

Erika looked at the Wormmon, as if she recognised it, before she then spoke. "Go on and help it!" Erika said.

"Don't need to say it twice!" Keisuke shouted back, as Tentomon moved in front of Wormmon, as Kuro did the same.

"Hey, big guy! Pick on someone your own level, bastard!" Kuro taunted.

The Waspmon then turned around, as it's attention was focused on the two Digimon.

"Alright, Kuro. You have a teammate on your side. Don't waste his assistance by going at it alone. Assist every attack he makes with your own. If he's going to use his special move, do the same. By following up each other's attack, you'll be able to deal more damage than fighting as your seperate unit." Richard advised Kuro.

"If you say so." Kuro acknowledged Richard's command.

"Tentomon! Do the same as well. I think that Richard might have a point here." Keisuke ordered his Digimon to assist Kuro in return.

"Alright, leave it to me!" Tentomon hummed.

"Wait, let me give you some power to fight better!" Erika exclaimed, before she then opened up her user interface, as she buffed the parameters of the Digimon by overclocking their processing power, making them stronger overall.

Waspmon then opened up, by attacking Tentomon with its stinger, as Tentomon seemed to be relatively unharmed, as he was knocked back a few meters.

"You're not going to win this one! Super Shock!" Tentomon buzzed, as he gathered electric energy on his curled yellow antenna, before he then fired off a large thunder-bolt that struck Waspmon hard, causing the wasp-like Digimon to be knocked out of flight for a few seconds.

"And that's not the only one you're taking! Pepper Breath!" Kuro yelled, as he fired off his blue fireball, which scorched the body of the Digimon, as it seemed to finish the fight off by defeating the Digimon. "Piece of cake! Thanks for the help, Tentomon!"

"You're welcome, partner!" Tentomon buzzed back with a grateful tone.

Richard then walked over to Wormmon, as he lifted a hand to touch him. "Are you... alright?"

Wormmon then sprang back up on his feet, as he cowered. "Hyyyaaaahhh! Now it's a hacker!" He whimpered in a high voice.

"What's with that reaction? We just saved you, you know." Erika huffed.

"Who... Who are you?" Wormmon asked.

"Don't move." Erika said, as she then applied some HP Capsules C on the Wormmon. "There. I healed your wounds. I just mimicked what my brother would do. Are you better now?"

"Yeah! Thanks a bunch!" Wormmon cheerfully answered back. "You guys are good hackers, ain't you?"

"Yeah, I guess we could say that is what we are." Richard nodded.

"I'm Wormmon! Nice ta meetcha!" Wormmon introduced himself, as he was jumping into the air.

"I guess Digimon attack each other, too, huh?" Erika said, as Kuro grimaced and turned his head away, hearing that statement.

"It's all my fault..." Wormmon said in a sad tone. "I was wandering around Kowloon when I slipped and fell. That Digimon was there, and it freaked me out, so I launched my special move, Sticky Net..."

"Yeah, that's definitely your fault." Erika shook her head, before she is then lightly knocked on the back of her head by Gus. "What do you want?"

"Don't be like that! He didn't mean any harm, and he was freaking out! Give the little guy some slack..." Gus told Erika with a appalled expression.

"Ooo... I'm always like this..." Wormmon sobbed. "I was always chased by strong Digimon in my hometown, too... I ran off, and before I knew it, I'd ended up here. I don't remember how to get home... I'm lost..."

"Hometown? For Digimon?" Erika pressed Wormmon.

"A-Yup! My hometown's called the Digital World!" Wormmon replied back, which caused Keisuke and Richard look at each other, as they remembered Mirei talking about it. "It's a world separate from this one. Say, this is the human world, right?"

"Our world? This is EDEN, a virtual space created by humans." Erika said.

"I thought so..." Wormmon sighed. "I don't know much about it, but I heard there's a place where the Digital World overlaps with the human world. The two worlds weren't connected in the beginning, but intersected at some point. I have to have used that connection to get over here, too..."

"Are you sure you're not bugging out?" Erika questioned Wormmon, as she shook her head. "There's no way there's another world. It just can't be true."

"I'm not bugging out! The Digital World DOES exist!" Wormmon fiercely denied the fact.

"I believe him." Richard replied. "After all, Digimon did not just come into existence without rhyme or reason, right?"

"Eh heh heh! Thanks a bunch!" Wormmon giggled.

"I think it's a bit hasty to believe such an absurd story so soon." Erika warned Richard.

"But then what about the DigiLab? Surely you can't brush that off so soon, right?" Keisuke answered back.

Erika then noticed her blunder, as she stopped speaking, as she was pouting slightly.

"But now, what should I do? I wanna go back to the Digital World, but I don't know how..." Wormmon cried.

"It's not like we know the answer. What do you want to do about it?" Erika responded back.

"Actually I do. How about you take Wormmon with you, Erika?" Gus asked.

"E-Excuse me?" Erika answered back, as she was taken aback by the sudden suggestion.

"I think that Wormmon seems to be looking up to you, after what you did for him." Gus answered back. "Don't be a cold person, and reject the companionship of someone you saved..."

"I don't care about Digimon in the least. So don't go counting on me to take care of this thing." Erika denied with a strong shake of her head.

Wormmon merely looked up to Erika with pleading cute eyes, as Erika looked into them for a moment, before she then looked away, as she clutched her head.

"Ugh... Wanna come with me?" Erika asked, as she was gritting her teeth, as if she was reluctant to say those words. "If you have nowhere else to go, then you can come with me, until we figure out how to get you home."

"Wowie, honest? Thanks a bunch! I was so lonely by myself! Hip hip hooraaayyyy!" Wormmon yelled with pure joy, jumping up and down again.

"I'm already regretting this... He broke me down though... " Erika muttered under her breath, inaudible to the other members. "He's so happy, talks a lot for a Digimon, and he's so clumsy. What a weird kid. Still... something is interesting about him, and I want to find out what it is."

She then turns to Richard and Keisuke.

"Thank you for saving him, Keisuke and Richard." Erika answered back. "Hey, Wormmon! C'mon!"

"Okie-dokie!" Wormmon said, as he jumped on Erika's other shoulder, opposite of Toto.

They then left for the server transfer pad, as they all left the area, and logged out.

* * *

 _Back in the internet cafe, Hudie..._

Richard, Gus reappeared in the booth, as Keisuke took off his visor, as he looked around for a while.

"Ryuji and Chitose aren't back yet... Maybe I should check the bulletin board." Keisuke said, as he opened up the secret Hudie website, getting onto the Bulletin Board to see if there are any requests he can take.

"...Hey, why is that room over there off-limits?" One of the visitors asked, as it was from a pair of boys, that were standing outside the door to Erika's room.

"You mean you don't know!?" The other boy asked back in astonishment. "That's the Unopened VIP Room. It's famous for causing misfortune around those who try to enter. Students in my homeroom of my acquaintance's friend's cousin went in there and met with all kinds of misfortune, I'm told! Their devices crashed, embarassing pictures of them got out, they got stuck in an automatic door, bitten by the dog, had black cats cross their path."

"Eep, stop it already!" The scaredy-cat boy whimpered after hearing the tale. "Hey, now that I think about it, I heard a weird shriek when I passed by that room a moment ago... Don't tell me I've been cursed too!?"

"Better go see an exorcist... I'll go with you." The other boy comforted his wimpy friend, as he hung a arm over his friend's neck, as they walked away.

"Sounds like Erika's room has a strange rumour associated with it." Keisuke commented on the event. "Wait, did he say 'shriek'?"

"Let's find out what he meant by that..." Richard said, as he walked up to the door.

He then knocked a few times, before he then heard Erika's muffled reply behind it. "Come in." Erika said.

Keisuke then opened the door, as they saw that Erika was prodding about with Wormmon, as there were digital tools around the insectoid Digimon, and Erika was using her cursor to poke at different areas on Wormmon's exposed body, as he was turned over.

"Ah! It's you three! You gotta save me! Erika's trying to dissect meeee!" Wormmon cried with desperation, as he flipped himself back up, with a fearful expression on his face.

"It's analysis, not dissection. Stop making me look bad." Erika calmly replied back to her new Digimon. "I haven't taken you apart or anything, have I? Although I might want to give that a try..."

"Gggyyyeeeppp!" Wormmon shrieked, as he jumped a little into the air in fright hearing the threat from Erika.

"You're my Digimon now, aren't you? It's only natural you'd get analysed and adjusted." Erika continued. "It's for your own good."

"But, but having you look inside my body is embarrassing, and it kinda tickles..." Wormmon complained.

"Well, I guess you can feel like a living being, huh?" Richard commented. "Must be strange to have sensations and feelings like us, Wormmon."

"Anyway, can I help you with something?" Erika asked the other human members.

"There's a weird rumour about your room. They call the door the 'Unopened VIP Door'." Keisuke explained his situation to her. "Doesn't that disturb even a little?"

"Once in a while, a customer tries to come in here for kicks. I hacked them as a little slap on the wrist, and that's how those spooky rumours started." Erika replied. "It's not like I never leave the room, plus the others come and go pretty often. Anyone who paid attention would get it... Really, what a pain it is, though."

"Hey Erika, what's 'spooky'?" Wormmon asked, as he seemed to have lost his fear for curiosity in learning the term.

"I'll teach you how to search for it on the net, so you can find out for yourself." Erika promised Wormmon.

"Hurray!" Wormmon called out with joy, as if he was a child being given candy for good work. "Erika teaches me all kinds of things! Thanks to her, I'm learning all about your world over there!"

"You're my Digimon, after all. Can't have you stay dumb forever." Erika smirked.

"Aw, that's nice of you, Erika." Gus replied. "You really do care."

"Yeah, maybe. So listen to this. I thought Digimon were just computer programs, but it looks like I was wrong. These guys have a feature that lets them read and learn from external data. Even without human help, they absorb data around them to grow on their own. Even if they're destroyed, they have an optional structure for self-reproduction... In other words, they're just like organic lifeforms..."

"So... Kuro wasn't going to die when I first met him, had I not got Ryuji's help and healed him in time?" Richard asked back.

"It sounds like it." Erika answered back. "I wonder if all programs from the Digital World are like this. Say, Wormmon. Tell me more about your world."

"Sure... but if I do, will you stop dissecting me?" Wormmon tried to bargain for his freedom from Erika's probing.

"Analysing, and sure, I'll think about it." Erika corrected her Digimon.

"Hip hip hooray! Okay, well. In the Digital World, there's a river of data particles, and-" Wormmon was about to explain, before Keisuke's phone rang, as Keisuke received the call that was incoming.

"Just a moment... I need to be outside." Keisuke replied back.

"Alright, we'll wait until you come back to continue." Richard answered back.

Keisuke then headed outside, closing the door, before he then came back in.

"I think I'll have to hear that explanation later. Right now, I've got urgent matters. Sorry, Erika and Wormmon." Keisuke responded back. "I have some requests to complete and some new leads to follow. Richard, Gus, if you guys want to, you can come with me."

"Alright, we'll come with you. Sorry, Erika. You can tell us all the technical stuff that Wormmon tells you, in a later time." Richard said, as he walked beside Keisuke. "Hope you'll find some more stuff."

Gus then followed them, as Erika then nodded. "See you all then." She said, before she went back to her work, as she changed to dealing with her general work of observing the results from the malware the team has set.

Meanwhile, Keisuke donned his EDEN visor, as he dived into EDEN, with his two companions.

* * *

 _In the first level of Under Kowloon..._

The group found themselves in a new area within EDEN, as both Tentomon and Kuro was out to protect their partners.

"So this is Under Kowloon, huh..." Richard commented at the darker atmosphere around him, as it looked the same as the Kowloon areas, except that one difference. "It's quite dreary-looking. I take it we have a job here, Keisuke?"

"Yeah. Mirei sent a request on the Bulletin Board requesting for our help in punishing some hackers who have been abusing EDEN. They were found in here, so we'll find them in no time flat. But I worry about when we encounter hostile Digimon."

"C'mon, don't tell me you're scared of In-Training Digimons! I'll blast them in no time flat for the both of you." Kuro huffed.

"I'll do my best to help protect you, Keisuke." Tentomon whirred. "It's my duty as my oath to you has created."

"I think we'll need to make our own Digimon stronger by constantly having battles." Richard told Keisuke. "After all, most of the Diigmon we'll bump into are either territorial or feral, so it would be a benefit in purging them. Besides, they don't actually die, if you recall what Erika said."

"Fair enough... We'll need to be stronger if we're going to tackle against the Digimon controlled by the bad hackers." Keisuke agreed with the line of thought.

They then fought against various Digimon, as they encounter both Fresh and In-Training level Digimon, as Kuro seemed to be easy dealing with the slower ones, while Tentomon used his Super Shocker to weaken the faster ones. As they continued to fight, both of the allied Digimon began to learn new moves, as Kuro learned a move called 'Wolkenapalm', where it caused his claws to flame up with a single strong strike, and Tentomon learned a move called 'Nanomachine Break', where he hits his enemy with a thunder-imbued strike. Both of the moves seemed to be more effective against the various types of Digimon they faced, as they had varying levels of difficulties in fighting them, due to their natural strengths and weaknesses.

Soon Richard noticed that the Digimon Capture has gathered enough residual data to create a Koromon, as he smiled.

"Well, I think you're going to be welcoming a new partner." Richard said, as he then sent the DigiLab URL to him. "Go with me there. You'll find your new companion there. Keisuke, while I get Gus's Digimon born into life for our assistance, you just keep on fighting, and taking care of Tentomon, alright? You too, Kuro. Listen to Keisuke for a moment, and don't get yourself hurt too much, alright?"

"Right. It'll take more than this to take me down." Kuro answered back.

They then made their way to the server transfer pad, avoiding any encounters with hostile Digimon, as they teleported into the DigiLab.

* * *

 _In the DigiLab..._

When they arrived, they were met by Mirei, who was sitting in the chair.

"Welcome back." Mirei said. "Judging by how you shared the key URL to your friend, you are planning on creating a new Digimon to be his partner?"

"Yes. I have enough data to create a Koromon." Richard answered back, as he walked to the DigiBank console, as he inputted several commands through it, as he fed the data from his Digivice to the computer stack in the centre, as the system whirred and clicked for a while, before it shined a light on the floor, as it created a wireframe of the Koromon, before it solidified into a actual male Koromon, which was a pink squishy blob with orange eyes, and two wavy antenna on his head.

"Nice... Gus, say hello to your new friend." Richard said.

"Hi, I'm Koromon!" The Koromon introduced himself, as he looked at Richard. "Are you my new master?"

"No, he is." Richard said, pointing at Gus. "He'll take good care of you."

Gus then came over, before he then picked up the Koromon in his arms. "Well, he does seem to be quite cute. But are you sure this guy can fight?" He asked his friend.

"Pfft, of course he can!" Richard assured his friend. "He may be weaker than the other two Digimon, but in time, absorbing a share of the residual data bounties we're getting by wiping the wild Digimon out, he'll get stronger, and then, when the time is right, we'll Digivolve him to a Agumon, so that we'll have a black and orange dino pair! Such is a sign of great friendship between the two of us!"

"Yeah! Let's grow up together, okay?" Koromon chimed in, bouncing in Gus's arms.

"Right. Right. I'll be sure to take care of you..." Gus said, before he pondered about what to call his new partner. "How about I call you... 'Sun'? I think that it'll fit you in the future, if Richard says an Agumon would be orange..."

"Sun? I like that name! Call me that from now on, please!" The now-named Sun joyfully called out.

"Alright, enough wasting our time here. Kuro might get impatient with us standing around here for so long." Richard said. "Let's not keep him waiting any longer."

They then left the DigiLab, as Gus waved goodbye to Mirei with a quiet 'Thank you!', as Sun waves one of his ears in a mock gesture to imitate his master.

* * *

 _Back in Under Kowloon..._

Richard and Gus then returned back in the area, with one extra Digimon in Gus's hands, as the brown-haired boy set down his partner, as Sun bounced after them.

They then find Keisuke, who was with Tentomon and Kuro.

"Finally, you're back." Kuro replied back. "I feel like that I'm at the verge of evolving to a higher form of power! And so is Tentomon! But where can I find the push for it..?"

"Evolving?" Richard said, as he flipped his Digivice on, as he scanned his partner, as he was at the right amount of power and experience to Digivolve to a Champion Level. "Sweet fucking god, Keisuke, how long have we been away for!? You can't have finished up things that fast, right?"

"Well... Our fights were going by faster and faster as our Digimon were getting stronger. It just came in short time, I guess." Keisuke replied with a rub of his head.

"I'm happy that we're already getting this powerful. Let's beat the hacker down to the ground, and get our dear friends some shiny new forms to commemorate victory." Richard said with a happy tone.

They then encountered the hacker, Wicked Hacker Koichi, who was a red-shirted hacker with a red cap over his head.

"Who the hell are you!? You got beef with me!?" Koichi roared at them with a punk-like voice.

"Stop exploiting Digimon for yourself! You can't just enslave them like this!" Gus shouted back, as Sun growled at Koichi.

"Oh yeah!? If you want me to stop, you're going to have to make me, losers!" Koichi mocked back, as he pulled out a Digivice, as he summoned a Bukamon, which was a grey seal-like creature with a white belly, and a orange flame-like antenna on its head, and a Tsumemon, which was a floating spider Digimon with a large orange eye with a black ring around it and stubby legs.

Sun, Kuro and Tentomon moved in front of the group, ready to fight for their companions.

"This won't take long. Kuro! Pepper Breath on the Bukamon!" Richard ordered, as Kuro immediately belched out his blue fireball, as it slammed into the Bukamon, knocking it down, leaving it just able to fight by a bare thread.

"Tentomon, Super Shocker on the Tsumemon!" Keisuke commanded, as Tentomon used his signature move to defeat the Tsumemon in one shot.

"Sun, uh, just tackle it with your might..." Gus said, as he knew that Sun didn't have any moves yet. The Koromon just merely let out a obedient 'En!', before he then tackled the Bukamon, finishing it off.

Soon enough, Kuro and Tentomon did a high-five together, as Koromon jumped up to bump his head against their various limbs, as a team victory pose, as Koichi is left shocked at his defeat.

"Argh! I know what I did was wrong!" Koichi begged, a complete opposite of his rebellious personality before. "Please spare me! I won't do it again!"

"You better not." Richard replied, as he watched the evil hacker run off like a coward, before he then scanned Sun with his Digivice. "Hm... It seems that that stupid hacker was useful for you at least. His digimon feed on so much data it boosted the levels of both Kuro and Tentomon a few times. He was playing smart until Mirei found him out. And Sun's ready to Digivolve like the rest. Come on, let's go to the DigiLab."

They then made their way back, as Kuro growled threateningly to warn off any wild Digimon in their way to get away from then, as they took the server pad to their destination.

* * *

 _In the DigiLab..._

"You've come again. Perhaps I should be expecting occasional visits from you and your friends then?" Mirei asked.

They then went to the DigiBank console without a single word, as they inputted the commands that would initiate the Digivolution processes for their Digimon, as the three Digimon was surrounded by a bright light, as it moulded and sculpted itself repeatedly.

"Thanks for teaching that hacker a lesson, you three." Mirei thanked the trio. "I knew that you'd get the job done, especially with the 'unique' BlackAgumon you have found. I'm sure that you won't have any trouble with the other 29."

"29?" Keisuke asked back.

"Oh, didn't I tell you? Sad to say, there are still numerous hackers out there who are mistreating their Digimon horribly." Mirei continued, placing a finger on her lips, as a teasing gesture. "There are 30 in my blacklist, and with the one you just defeated, the total number is down to 29. There were originally 60 hackers on the blacklist, but I thought that would be too much for one person. So that's why I split the work between you and the 'other ones'. Unfortunately, they seem to be slacking in their duties in reducing the number, so I expect you to work hard to achieve it for me."

"But you don't know where they all are as of yet, right?" Gus asked.

"Precisely." Mirei answered back. "It's not like that it's a world-ending matter that must be solved immediately. I just want you to take your time to help give Digmon a better life by punishing those who would abuse these lives for their own gain. By the way, when you find some more Digimon, place them in the DigiFarm. If you ask them to investigate in there, they will bound to find some clues regarding them, so check them regularly, once you have enough of them to fill the biomes in the DigiFarm."

"I'll keep that in mind, Mirei-san." Keisuke nodded.

"Look, they're almost done!" Gus exclaimed, as the other two humans turned around to look at the Digimon, as their forms have stabilised and the light disappeared to reveal their new forms.

Tentomon was now a Kabuterimon, as he was a bipedal insectoid Digimon with four arms. His head is eyeless and has a black skull helmet with a long horn. and two pairs of large dragon-fly wings on its upper back. It is blue in coloration with black muscle in the torso, arms, and legs. It has a black stinger on its pelvis. Kuro was now a BlackGreymon, as his body coloured shifted from black to a darker blue, as he has grown quite a lot, as there was now a metallic horned helmet on his head, which his yellow eyes shined through, and there were black claw-marked tattoos on his torso and limbs. Sun Digivolved into a Agumon, which seemed to be orange coloured version of Kuro's former form, as his eyes were green.

Kuro then looked down at Sun, as he was a little surprised to see Sun in his Agumon form.

"Huh. I guess that you're getting a Agumon then. Not that I have any ill-will to my alternate-coloured cousins. They actually were quite nice." Kuro said, in a much more gruffer voice then before, due to his increase in size and power.

"Well, I won't lose to you! I'll eventually make my way to be a Champion like you!" Sun declared with pure energy and determination.

"Heh, I'll be waiting. If you want to be my rival, I won't stop you. But you better not dawdle, because I ain't going to make your goal easy to achieve! I'm born to be a survivor!" Kuro chuckled a little at Sun's energetic declaration.

"Let's leave. Kuro, back into my Digivice. I can't take you to the real world, but I'll be only away for a while." Richard said.

"If you say so, Richard. Just make sure you keep your word, okay?" Kuro said, as he disappeared in a stream of blue light that entered Richard's Digivice.

"You too, Kabuterimon." Keisuke added, as Kabuterimon did what he was told, and disappeared in a purple data stream. Gus did the same with Sun, except his data stream was orange.

"We'll be back soon, Mirei. So take care of this place, will you?" Gus asked, before he and the others disappeared.

"...I will." Mirei said with a smile, as she picked up a certain black cat, as she petted it, while it purred in her lap.


	5. Chapter 4: Airdramon and News

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 4: Airdramon and News

* * *

 _In the Internet Cafe, Hudie..._

Keisuke was looking up for requests on the Bulletin Board, as Richard and Gus was standing in the booth, waiting for their friend to finish his searching.

"A-ha!" Keisuke shouted, as he opened up a specific request, detailing about a runaway Airdramon that escaped from a 'Digimarket' wholesaler, who was about to deliver the Digimon to the Digimarket to be sold. It also showed a good pay and some components that would boost the effectiveness of their Digimon. "So... What's your take on this, guys?"

"I'd say that the salesman is baiting us. He'll backstab us to be honest with you." Richard said. "But we still have a responsibility to help Digimon, after what we saw with Wormmon. Don't forget, you have two Champion level Digimon hauling the weight. My Kuro as a BlackGreymon, and your Kabuterimon. Together, it'll take something much stronger to beat us down!"

"I guess you're right. I'll contact the guy, and ask for the details." Keisuke nodded, before he then turned the phone, as he called the number attached to the thread.

"Oh, Hudie! I've been waiting for you-" A male voice was heard from it, before it stopped mid-sentence. "Hang on... I was expecting Ryuji or Chitose?"

"I'm new, but I've been solving a lot of problems in EDEN recently. You can count on us to help you." Keisuke assured the client.

"Are you sure you can handle it? Never mind, I'm in a real pickle and beggars can't be choosers." The man replied back. "I'm in the Digmon wholesale business. I collect various Digimon and sell them at the market. Legally of course. We aren't illegal like those hackers. I've hired you because of that runaway Airdramon. I found it has escaped from its cage, with the latter being trashed completely! It's as if some beast came over and tore it apart! Do you have any idea what this means? I stand to lose everything because of this! It's a truly desperate situation! If I don't fix this, I'll never be able to show my face in Kowloon, or even anywhere in EDEN!"

"It won't be that bad. We'll track it down for you." Richard answered.

"It won't be that bad!?" The man screeched back. "Oh, don't underestimate hackers! They're territorial, and very sensitive when it comes to contacts and stuff like that! So you can understand my desperation! Please bring the Airdramon back as soon as you can! Like I wrote, I'll pay as much as I can for what you'll do for me!"

The client then hanged the phone, as Keisuke then slipped his EDEN visor on, activating it.

"Well, I don't believe that guy cared about the Airdramon. But still, the cage being torn apart... Why does that seem strange to me? No Digimon I have seen would do that. Must be someone who works for the freedom of all Digimon..." Richard said. "What does the request say about its location?"

"It's in the second level of Kowloon's underground. We'll be expecting fiercer resistance there, but the Champion Digimon we have might be more than enough to protect us." Keisuke answered back. "I'm still conflicted about whether to do what he asked though..."

"Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there." Richard said. "Now, onwards, noble warrior! We are your steeds to a bright future!"

Gus couldn't hold back his giggle hearing the cheesy quote from Richard, as Keisuke smiled at it as well, before both of the transferred humans disappeared, as Keisuke logged in.

* * *

 _In Under Kowloon's second level..._

As the group fought their way through the first level of Kowloon's underground, as the Digimon trio got stronger, with new moves, before they took the green elevator panel, that took them down one level, as they ended up in a area where they saw a green coloured fire-wall and a yellow-coloured fire-wall blocking the two paths forward.

"I think that we'll need to find our way past these firewalls, if we're going to continue our investigation." Richard said, remarking about the firewalls in front of him.

They then moved to the wall, as they saw that there were a few hackers who were unable to breach the fire-wall, as Richard and Gus took a look at both fire-walls, as the yellow one was classified as a 'Level Alpha' firewall, while the green one was classified as a 'Level Beta' firewall, as there was even a red 'DANGER' sign on top of the beta symbol of the fire-wall.

When they returned to Keisuke, Richard then made his suggestion.

"I don't think we should be cracking with that green fire-wall yet, Keisuke. The red DANGER sign ain't bluffing around." Richard stated his opinion. "I think if we tried to mess with the damn thing, it'll curb-stomp our Digimon, even if they're Champion level, and wipe our accounts clean. The yellow one, however... doesn't look so threatening. We'll deal with that first, and see where the forbidden path takes us."

"Right." Keisuke grunted with a nod, as they walked up to the yellow fire-wall, as they saw a sitting hacker leaning on a lamppost.

"Oi! This is Nakano Stripes territory. No boys allowed! Leave at once!" The female hacker shouted at the male group. "Or do you want our handmade security wall to drive you away!? Leave while you have a chance!"

Richard looked at the girl, then at Keisuke, before he then strided forward. "Let's see if that thing can make me, lady!" Richard taunted, as he placed his hand on the fire-wall, as it set off an alarm in the wall.

" _ **Intruder Detected! Intruder Detected!**_ " The wall blared back, as it then activated its defence protocols.

"What the, are you mad!?" The Nakano Stripes hacker cried. "You can't possibly beat this firewall!"

"Sorry, but it'll take more than that to deter us. We apologise if this may be troublesome to deal with later." Gus spoke with a apologetic and sincere tone to the agitated hacker.

Sun, Kuro and Kabuterimon moved to engage the mobilised fire-wall, as Kuro went first.

"I like to see what a stupid little static wall will do against me? Stare me down? Hah! Bit Fire!" Kuro barked, before he then lifted his head, as he gathered blue flames in his mouth, before then firing off a trio of blue fire-balls that were larger than his Pepper Breath in his BlackAgumon form, as it struck the wall, knocking a few pieces out of it, and weakening the lighting on it.

"Kabuterimon! Electro Shocker!" Keisuke ordered his Digimon, as Kabuterimon immediately gathered lightning in front of him, as it was released in a large ball of purple thunder that struck the wall, as most parts of the fire-wall shorted out on that single blow, as the wording on it was flickering.

"No... It can't be..." The hacker spoke in awe at how she was seeing her group's handmade fire-wall be tore down to this level by two mere attacks from Digimon.

"Sun... Heavy Strike." Gus ordered the finisher, as Sun jumped into the air, as he slashed down on the wall with momentum from falling, as it destroyed the wall into scattered pieces, as the lighting faded from the broken wall.

"I... I... How did this..." The hacker gasped at what she saw.

"Let's go." Richard said, as both human and Digimon continued down the path, where they found a teleporter to a different area, where they ended up on a small platform with a clear flight path. "I guess we're flying, huh?"

Gus nodded, as he floated in the air, with the other Digimon doing the same, as the group flew through the area, as they were forced to land several times to fight off wild Digimon that would threaten them in the air. They soon landed in another large area, bustling with other hackers.

"Let's split up and ask around..." Keisuke suggested, as the group split off once again, as they consulted with the various hackers, ranging from those from ZAXON, and those from rarely-seen hacker groups. After some talking, they met up, to discuss what they know.

"I've found out that the Airdramon fled fast, scared of the dealer, who abused Digimon." Keisuke commented.

"And I've heard that there were two other people who went after it. One was a blue hedgehog... and the other was a shrine maiden with black-brown hair... I think we found out what happened..." Gus added.

"There's no mistaking it... It's Antonio and Reimu, two of our missing friends." Richard said. "But why would they do such a thing, and not found a way to contact us? That's strange... Let's find them and talk about it."

They then entered through another teleporter, as it teleported them into the air, where they continued down the passage, fighting off some more Rookie and In-Training Digimon, before they managed to reach a small area, where they found Airdramon, Reimu, and Antonio, in his hedgehog form to both of Richard's and Gus's surprise. Both hedgehog and shrine maiden were lying down, trying to recover from their bruises and wounds. The Unmei Force members then noticed their leader and second-in-command, as they stood up.

"Richard? Gus?" Reimu asked. "Where did you two come from!? I was so damn worried about where everyone went!"

"We managed to lay low for a while, avoiding drawing any attention from the guys around this nasty joint." Antonio replied back. "It's a real annoying period, as we only did what we did, because Reimu was too brash and reckless to come and wreck the cage holding Airdramon. It took us a while to persuade him, but we managed to assure him that we meant no harm to him, and were trying to rescue him from that cruel dealer. I'd shiver thinking about what he did to the other Digimon, when Airdramon told me all about it."

"Who are you?" Airdramon asked, as he was a teal-coloured flying serpent with a purple under-belly, and a dragon-like head with horns with a bony helmet and orange eyes, as well as torn wings on his back. "Don't come any closer to me, you hear!?"

"Calm down, Airdramon, it's our friends, the ones we were talking about." Antonio assured the serpent, before noticing Keisuke. "Who's the dull-eyed guy?"

"Long story. We'll talk when we get out." Richard responded back.

"I... Alright... I believe you, Antonio..." Airdramon said in a nervous tone. "But I don't trust them... They look like the same as the dealer who captured all of us, and considered us as mere programs..."

"Don't worry, I think we're safe here." Reimu added. "Now, about those others."

"Before I say anything, I would like to say there's a hacker who is going to buy you." Keisuke said. "I think that by the sound of the guy who was requesting for it, you'll be happier with him."

"So I won't be locked up again?" Airdramon asked. "In that case, maybe I can go back... So long as I won't have to go back in that tiny cage... But the others are still locked up... Please save them, if you can. I don't want them to suffer in the hands of a person who treats Digimon so badly."

"About that... I have a idea." Gus suggested.

* * *

 _In the DigiMarket in Kowloon..._

The Airdramon came with everyone, as Keisuke and Richard walked up to the client who asked for Airdramon's return, as he was talking to another man who was his colleague.

"Oh! I see you found it! Thank you!" The wholesaler thanked Richard and Keisuke.

"You again? Back to pick another fight?" The colleague hissed, as he glared at Keisuke.

"History with this guy?" Richard asked, looking at Keisuke.

"...Yep. He's the one I saved Tentomon from. He said that the Digimon was 'scrap' and to be deleted. I saved him, and he's proven otherwise very clearly." Keisuke nodded.

"Hmph, so you're here to clean up the mess. And you bought the merchandise back, too?" The merchant sneered.

"Just before we give you Airdramon back... I want you to listen to what he has to say for his brethren." Gus said. "He ran because he isn't happy with the living conditions that he had to deal with."

"What are you talking about?" The wholesaler asked in a confused manner, with a head-scratch. "You're just a program though, why would you care about something like that?"

Reimu clenched her fist in anger, as she was infuriated hearing that, as Antonio calmed her down by holding her fist down and patting her back to soothe the bottling fury inside her.

"We're not just programs! We're living beings! Of course we can feel and care like you people!" Airdramon replied back with a sad tone. "It's horrible being locked up in such a tiny cage. You know how big our wings are. We need space to fly around and be comfortable! I couldn't take it anymore, so I screeched, and Reimu smashed the cage to pieces to free me!"

"You found it... uncomfortable...?" The wholesaler asked with a worried expression, before he then bowed his head in guilt. "I... I see. I'm sorry I didn't consider your feelings, because you were programs... You can feel like us. I'll arrange something bigger for all of you. Will that make the others happy?"

"Yeah! Of course!" Airdramon nodded his head.

"Then I'll do it. Anything to avoid the headache of Digimon constantly trying to escape, and my way to make up for what I have done to you all." The wholesaler agreed to make the accommodations better for the Airdramons, before he turned to Richard and Keisuke. "Although I must ask for your friend to pay for the broken cage, that price will be covered by the reward I offered you for solving the problem. I've never considered Digimon to be living things before. I'm glad that you opened my eyes to this. I'll be sure to go to you next time something comes up!"

"Are you... Are you kidding me? You believe that damn thing can actually fe-" The antagonistic merchant roared, before he was slugged by Reimu in the head, conking the rude jerk immediately.

"That's what you get, asshole." Reimu hissed. "He had it coming."

"Alright, let's go. The buyer's waiting." The wholesaler said, as he gestured for Airdramon to come with him.

"Okay! I wonder what he is like!" Airdramon said, before turning to send off Reimu and Antonio. "Bye-bye, Reimu and Antonio! Thank you for everything you have done for me and the others!"

The wholesaler and Airdramon left through another teleporter, as Richard and the others stepped onto the sever transfer pad to log them out.

* * *

 _In the Internet cafe, Hudie..._

All of the members arrived back in the booth, as they were cramped lightly together, as they were surrounding Keisuke, who took his EDEN visor. Strangely, Antonio was in his human form, as he was surprised as well by the sudden change of form, as Keisuke noticed it.

"Well, that's two more for the group... How are we going to explain this to Ryuji and Chitose?" Keisuke said, as he sighed. "You should get your own EDEN visor, if we're going to be able to fit the other people through."

"Good idea, Keisuke, but we'll need to do a lot of requests if we're going to afford that." Gus said. "And I think we'll be able to explain to them, that they're our companions."

"Hm... What's this?" Keisuke asked, as a new tab for the DigiMarket appeared on the Hudie website. "The DigiMarket? That's funny... I don't remember being given its link... Wait, there's a message from that wholesaler before."

He then opened the message, allowing everyone nearby to see it. ' **Hey, I just to say thanks for what you have done for me back there. I've sent the app for the DigiMarket over, so that you'll be able to find the Digimon that you guys might be looking for. Don't worry, they're all very likely to be happy with their new owners. Only Digimon type that weren't so happy were the Airdramons, and that was only because of a mistake on our part. Speaking of which, if Reimu and Antonio see this, the Airdramon they released was bought by a more mature and respectful person who wanted him as a pet. I'm sure they'll be happy together.** "

"What a nice guy, after all." Antonio smiled.

Keisuke then browsed the catalouge, as they seen a lot of In-Training Digimon, as Richard noticed some of them which would be suitable Digimon for his team. One of them was a yellow vulpine blob with cute blue eyes, a yellow brushed tail, and stubby limbs, and another was a orange furred round creature, with a large metal hooked horn on top of its head, as well as orange-red eyes.

"Hey, Keisuke? Could you put down a reminder to buy the male Tsunomon and the female Viximon they have in stock?" Richard asked.

"Sure, why though?" The friendly hacker asked.

"Because I think that I just found the right Digimon for Antonio and Reimu to have." Richard replied with his reason.

"What? You have a idea of what suits me?" Reimu asked. "I'm actually curious about what a small fox Digimon would relate to me."

"You'll see... Reimu." Richard smirked.

"Alright, now that we have everything done, it's time we check up Erika again." Keisuke said, as he switched off the desktop, pulling out the Hudie USB, reverting the site back to its innocent covering shop site.

They then came into Erika's room, as Richard knocked firsthand to inform Erika that they were coming in, as Reimu was surprised to see a young girl like Erika being so diligent in doing her part.

"Is this... Erika?" Reimu asked.

"Ah, I see you must have brought some new friends." Erika stated, as she didn't turn her head. "What? You need something?"

"I want to ask if Reimu and Antonio can be registered as Hudie members." Richard requested. "We found them protecting a fleeing Airdramon in one of our cases. The case's solved without much problem, and we're reunited. So please, let my friends help us and Keisuke."

"I'll pass it onto Ryuji shortly." Erika accepted it.

"Do you know a Matayoshi? Does he know Ryuji?" Keisuke asked.

"Oh, Mr Matayoshi came? He's a detective. Ryuji and Chitose owe him big time. He's helped them a lot in the past." Erika answered the question. "I don't know the details. Ryuji and Chitose used to be really royal pains, and he probably looked after them somehow. He's a good man. I like him. Sometimes he brings me sweet things with a smile."

"Then what does our team name 'Hudie' mean?" Keisuke pressed on his question.

"It's Chinese for 'butterfly'. But why that name?" Richard added.

"Well... That came out of nowhere. Not that it's a problem." Erika replied, as she turned over to face the group. "It seems that you are right about getting your other friends, Richard. I guess that since you're either actually or technically part of the team, for all of you, you should at least know what that means. There's this story I like called 'The Butterfly Dream'. Do you know it?"

"I... I've heard about it." Gus said. "It was a tale about a man who dreamt about bring a free butterfly flying into the skies. And then he wakes up after it, thinking about whether the dream he had was as a man, or is he a butterfly just dreaming about a man then. It's a anecdote about dreams and reality being so closely related that the boundaries between them are blurred beyond recognition, where the person cannot know which is which from what they see."

"That is right. We treat cyberspace as this extension of reality in our day-to-day life. We don't even know which is the 'real' reality anymore." Erika responded back. "Some people are just ordinary people in the real world, but in cyberspace, they're special. Or sometimes in the reverse. Just look at hackers. Which side do you think is more real for them? This world? EDEN? Both, maybe? This place is a kind of frontier for people like that, who dwell in the middle. And we, so to speak, are butterflies, flitting back and forth between the two worlds. So that's what gave the name."

"Woah... So you're kind of like people from the shadows, watching everything proceed?" Antonio asked. "That's... That's so cool!"

"Curiousity satisfied now? Try going and doing some cases or something. The others might have found more for you all to work on." Erika said. "Although, wait.. Ryuji might send word soon."

As predicted, Keisuke's phone rang, as he turned the phone's speaker on for everyone to hear.

"Erika." Ryuji said. "You got Keisuke, Richard and Gus together with you?"

"Yes, and some more people that Richard claims to be his other companions. They did help for one of the cases." Erika answered back.

"Perfect, then stay right there. I'll greet the newcomers myself." Ryuji said. "A new case has come in, and it's urgent."

"Alright. We'll wait for you." Richard replied, as he spoke through the phone.

After a while, Ryuji and Chitose came in, as Chitose was astonished at Reimu's natural beauty, as he was stunned for a while, before he was nudged by Ryuji, which caused him to sit down again.

"We got our next case from ZAXON. It's a account raider named-" Ryuji spoke, before he noticed Wormmon on Erika's monitor. "Erika, what is that?"

"I'm Wormmon! Nice to meetcha!" Wormmon cooed, raising its front legs with a welcoming expression.

"He's my Digimon. I picked him up while we were patrolling EDEN." Erika admitted to her brother.

"And here I thought you weren't the least bit interested in Digimon. Why the change of heart?" Chitose asked.

"Things happened." Erika shrugged.

"Erika, Keisuke, Richard and Gus saved me while I was lost all on my own!" Wormmon said. "Erika said I could stay with her until I figure out my way back to the Digital World!"

"Digital World? What's that? Some sort of area?" Chitose questioned the term.

"It's what the critter claims to be the homeworld of all of the Digimon that we see and meet." Richard explained. "He also states that EDEN seems to be the gateway between both worlds, as the beings in each of them mingle around here."

"Say what? Ha ha, is he for real!?" Chitose laughed at the absurd claim. "What a weird Digimon you got there."

"But's it tuh-rooooo!" Wormmon sobbed back.

"...It sure talks a lot, like Richard's Kuro. Is this your doing?" Ryuji commented.

"Nope, he's been like this since I found him. There's nothing wrong with him, last I checked." Erika answered her brother's question.

"Well, as long as you take care of it." Ryuji finished off the topic, before moving to the main issue. "Back to the job. We're going after the mastermind behind the recent account raiding."

"Who is it?" Keisuke asked with anticipation.

"We got some intel from Zaxon." Chitose announced. "Seems there's some nasty characters using hackers like Shiga to round up accounts. In other words, we'll have to take him out if we're going to stop the account raiding."

"We stole the device info when we checked out Shiga's Digivice." Ryuji said. "The transmission log between Shiga and the mastermind is encrypted. We couldn't get any specifics, but we did get a name: The name of the mastermind, Mephisto."

"Mephisto? What a weird name." Wormmon commented, interrupting the conversation.

"It's an alias. If you ask me, you're the one with the weird name." Erika bluntly stated.

"Mine's not weird! And if it is, then Erika is a weird name as well!" Wormmon replied back in a annoyed tone.

"First, we have to find a way to get in contact with this Mephisto." Ryuji said. "I need you all to scrounge up info on our target. Chitose, you do it here in the real world. Erika, on the net."

"Got it./Aye Aye, captain!" Erika and Chitose simultaneously replied in their own casual tones.

"As for you, Keisuke, Richard, Gus, and the others." Ryuji said, turning to the remaining members. "We will login and make direct contact with hacker teams that may have a connection with him. You're our new 'whack' and you've proven well on the job. If you find out where he is, you 'blitz' him right then and there. You better be ready."

Keisuke was shocked, as Richard seemed to be considering what the future events will bring.

' _Mephisto, huh... That's the crazed Growlmon masquerading with a human Avatar... '_ Richard thought. _'If I remember clearly, the other protagonist, whose name should be Takumi or Ami Aiba, depending on what gender they are, would take care of Mephisto after we knock some sense into him. Then there would be no trace of them. But still, if there really are 'outsiders' with them, as Mirei foretold for me, I better be careful._ '

Richard then nodded. "Got that. but Ryuji, permission to ask if we could suggest hacker names to use from now on for ourselves?" He asked.

"I can allow that, but why suddenly now?" Ryuji questioned back.

"It's just that I should keep a sense of anonymity, and so should Keisuke. No-one is going to mess with any of you guys because you're either untouchable with so much power and experience, or outside their range." Richard said. "About us, we're at threat, so I should keep my name under an alias as Erika stated for Mephisto. Same goes with the others."

"Alright then, what kind of names do you have up for bat?" Chitose asked casually.

"I'll take the name Kage. Gus will be Phoenix. Antonio will be Flash. And Reimu will be Hana. You already took my suggestion for Keisuke being Spectre, so we'll stick to that name. After all, not all hackers have names like ours in their avatars." Richard stated.

"Hana? How fitting for a lady as beautiful as the most prized flower!" Chitose swooned, as he gazed at Reimu with a adoring look.

"...Stop it. I'm not after your type." Reimu answered back.

"Yeah, to re-introduce these two..." Richard said, referring to Antonio and Reimu. "The blue-jacketed kid on my left is Antonio, just Antonio. And the holy maiden beside me is Reimu Hakuten. They're more of my friends, Ryuji and Chitose, like Gus. I may have neglected to tell you that there still two more of my friends missing, and the two you found are my second and third companions when I ended up here."

"I see. I won't pry into such matters, as long as you prove we can trust you all." Ryuji nodded. "Our targets are hacker teams with a possible connection to this Mephisto. Black Silver, with their base in the EDEN forum, and the Nakano Stripes, who hang out in Kowloon."

"Nakano Stripes, you mean the one that the lady who created the one fire-wall that obstructed our path? The one that is a boy-hater group?" Keisuke asked.

"I think you must have had quite an encounter with them, to know that." Ryuji said. "I don't care which one you go after first. Just go to the site and get some info. And take Richard and Gus with you. They'll help you fight your way through their territories."

"Roger that, Ryuji." Gus nodded. "Come on, guys."

They then left for the internet booth, as all four of the Unmei Force members crammed into the booth, as Keisuke logged into EDEN, after doing his standing procedure of entering the Hudie hacker site, and sliding on his EDEN visor to begin his log-in.


	6. Chapter 5: Domination and Encounter

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 5: Domination Battle and Encounter

A/N: In-Character Richard warning: Be wary that there will a lot of threats and swearing from Richard. So you don't like, try and censor, or if you know how the plot goes, just skip to the next chapter.

* * *

 _In the Hacker Forum..._

Keisuke and the other people landed in the main hub of the hacker committee, as they found themselves on a round platform that has graffiti on the floor by more mischievous hackers.

"Let's have a look around with this new place the URL from Ryuji gave us." Richard said. "Ask around for the name."

The group split up, as they talked to as many of the available passer-bys and hackers loitering around, as they didn't find anything pertaining the name 'Mephisto'.

"I don't know that person, but if you're looking for a battle opponent. I'll be happy to oblige." The handsome elderly man that Keisuke was asking about the name responded, as he pulled out his Digivice.

"Uh, no. Sorry, we're in a rush." Keisuke replied. "Maybe we'll battle later."

"I see... Feel free to find me if you need some practice for the hacker battles." The elderly man sent off the young hacker. "The competition is getting good recently!"

Keisuke then called the group together, as they reported that their lack of knowledge gained about their target.

"It's a damn shame we found not even a single scrap. Guess the safe way is out." Richard answered back. "We're going to have to invade Nakano Stripes territory. Call Ryuji. We'll need as much help as we can get."

Keisuke did so, as Ryuji merely replied that he was on his way to Under Kowloon, heading to the same place they were going through. They then immediately hopped onto the server transfer pad, and left the forum with some haste.

* * *

 _Down in Nakano Strips territory at the second level of Kowloon's Underground..._

"Oh, it's you troublemakers again? If it's a fight you want, then you've come to the right person-" A Nakano Stripes hacker was about to say, before she was slugged immediately in the jaw by Reimu, sending the girl into dreamland with a woozy expression.

"I don't have fucking time for these charades." Reimu hissed. "If I had a Digimon who would help take some of that work for me, I'd be quite happy."

"Of course, I think your future partner will be likely to suit you, Reimu." Richard said, as the entire group were surprised that Reimu's anger got the better of her again, as even Ryuji is intrigued by Reimu's direct and brutal method of dealing with repetitive encounters with the defending Nakano Stripes hackers.

"Does she have something modded on her?" Ryuji asked. "No avatar here could have that much strength to overload their pain sensors and knock them out with a single blow like that."

"I'm the Hakurei Shrine Maiden. Nothing's impossible for me when I get serious with this stuff." Reimu grumbled back. 'Now, let's get going. She's the last person in our way?"

"Yeah... Just past this teleporter is the way to the hub where we should find some knowledgable hackers." Keisuke said.

They soon arrived at the hub, which was where they found Airdramon with Reimu and Antonio earlier, as they saw two hackers who were fans of the Nakano Stripes.

"I don't know about who you're talking about. Does that person live in Nakano?" The first one asked, when given the question, as Antonio shook his head. "And strange avatar you got there. How did you get it?"

"Sorry, I've never heard of a Mephisto-san." The other hacker denied with a shake of her head, talking to Reimu. "Besides, if you managed to fight your way deep into Nakano Stripes, you must be more than worthy of being a Nakano Stripes hacker like us! Join us, we'll show the other men that we're not their slaves!"

"Pass. I got more important matters than to play buddy-buddy with some fashion-crazed women." Reimu coldly denied, as she turned away and walked back to the group.

"So no-one here knows Mephisto's true identity, and... no one knows when he'll show his face, huh?" Ryuji commented on how the trail for the mysterious ringleader went cold here. "We know for a fact that the string-puller is in contract with hackers doing the account raiding. There must be a way to contact him directly."

Suddenly, Keisuke's and Ryuji's phones rang, as they picked up the call, which was from Chitose.

"Yo! How's it hanging?" Chitose chimed in.

"I checked on both teams, as we just went through the Nakano Stripes hacker team. They are both dead ends." Ryuji stoically reported back.

"Hohoho... Then I got some news for you and Keisuke!" Chitose laughed like a corny villian. "The hacker team Steam Dealers seems to have gained an unusual amount of influence lately. Rumours among freelance hackers is that they've found themselves a nice cash cow of a client."

"Mephisto, I take it?" Keisuke asked back. "Where did you find that out?"

"Hey man, I told you this sort of thing's my speciality. I've got eyes and ears everywhere, even where you least expect it, and don't you forget it!" Chitose bragged. "Anyway, I'll pass the URL to their hideout to all you guys. Thank the little lady for it."

Ryuji placed a hand under his chin in contemplation, when he heard about the Steam Dealers.

"Steam Dealers... those guys, huh?" Ryuji said. "They tend to stand you before, so I know them. You join us here, Chitose."

"You're the boss, boss." Chitose smiled. "See you there then."

"Let's head back to the server transfer pad." Keisuke said. "We can get there from that place. But first, I'll have to do some things in the 'place'."

Keisuke then disappeared for a while, when he used the DigiLab URL at a EDEN phone booth, before he then reappeared.

"There, that should leave us with some reserves in case we don't have enough to fight." Keisuke said, referring to something that Ryuji did not know, confusing the silver-haired veteran, as Richard seemed to understand, and nodded.

They then finished their way to the entrance of the level, as they teleported out of the server, and into the Steam Dealer hideout.

* * *

 _In the Steam Dealers hideout..._

The group found themselves in a floating maze of cybernetic platforms, with some of them moving across back and forth, as they navigated through it, breaking through another Level Alpha fire-wall that went down much easier than their first encounter of the enemy type, a few lingering Digimon, before they saw a group of hackers that were in black tuxedos, coloured ties, and gas masks on their face.

"Sorry for the wait!" Chitose said, as he was sprinting across to the group, before he noticed the Steam Dealer group who were talking amongst themselves. "Oh hey, the Steam Dealers! There they are!"

"Thanks for pointing the obvious, casanova." Antonio sighed, as they walked up to the group, as their leader turned around to face them.

"HHhh... Ksssh... hHHH... Ksssh..." The leader spoke as if the mask was enhancing his breathing, as the sounds were faked. "Who the hell are you? Why do you... Hhhh... know this URL? Kssshh... There aren't many... hhh... outsiders who know about this place. Hhh... Ksssh..."

"Cut the fucking chatter." Richard threatened the leader with a stiff pointing finger "Tell us what you have related to Mephisto. I know that he's the reason you're making big bucks, Darth Wannabe. Or else I'll give you a real reason to speak with those lisps: Your windpipe crushed to the radius of a drinking straw."

"...What!? Why you...! Now you've gone and done it-" The masked leader retorted back with rage, before he then went into a coughing fit, as one of his members came over to pat his back to soothe it.

"B-Boss! Pull yourself together, boss! C'mon, breathe, BREATHE!" The member advised his boss. "You punk! Hhhh... That's the biggest taboo you can possibly commit in our group! KSSSH KSSSH! The boss's trembling! Hhh... Ksshh! He must have inhaled some of that polluted air! You cruising for a bruising!?"

"Boo-fucking-hoo." Richard swore back. "What are you going to do, throw a tantrum? Get real, you pretentious assholes. You WILL tell us, or I will make you regret wasting our time!"

"I... I have no obligation to answer you... Now get... Hhhh... get out of here, or-" The leader spoke, as he stopped coughing after he was comforted by his fellow hacker member.

Richard then took a few heavy steps, as he walked right in front of the leaders, as he shoved his forehead onto the leader's mask.

"Or you'll what? You'll send your Digimon out, and expect to run when we soundly beat your puny ass?" Richard darkly hissed, as he smiled cruelly"Oh no. No, no, NO. I'm more than capable of wasting every one of your scrawny asses alone. Try and threaten me and my pals, will you? Listen here, you pathetic whelp. To me, you are nothing. N.O.T.H.I.N.G. Not even worth a speck of dust to me. I have as much fear of you as I have fear about the sunlight. I will be nice: ANSWER, OR YOU ALL WILL SUFFER."

Gus noticed that the situation was about to escalate to disastrous proportions, as the leader was left whimpering and squealing at Richard's cold threat, as his legs were trembling, and the members backed away from Richard as far as they could. He then grabbed Richard by the shoulders, pulling him away from the person he just put true fear into.

"Richard! We're not here to threaten them!" Gus scolded his friend, who glared at him with emotionless eyes. "We still need the information from them!"

"Fucker tried raising the bet." Richard simply replied back to his friend. "He couldn't match up to the shit he put himself up for. Of course that asshole is getting his comeuppance for losing this kind of gamble against me."

"We have a idea... How about we'll have a Domination battle then? If we win, you'll tell us. If we lose, we won't bother you all again." Chitose said to the frozen leader. "Either way, it'll be a win-win situation, since we'll pull back our friend from interrogation as far away from you."

"Hii... Heee..." The leader shivered. "Anything to get that... monster away from all of us! We'll do it! Please, I don't want to die from sensory overload from whatever that guy is going to do to meeeeee!"

"Brilliant! This is going to be one hell of a rodeo!" Chitose cheered, with a fist-pump.

"We aren't going back empty-handed, so don't disappoint us, Keisuke. We'll do our best to win the match for you." Ryuji said. "But first, you'll need to have three Digimon to control, as a squad under our team."

"Take Sun and Kuro. They'll be quite powerful enough to allow you victory, Keisuke." Gus said, as he used the new Digivice that Ryuji gave him when they met up at Kowloon's Underground, as it spat out Sun. Richard did the same with a nod, as his expression softened a lot from the deathly terrifying one he had earlier.

"Dominate their asses for me, Keisuke. Make sure you utterly crush this little insolent bastard." Richard cheered Keisuke on.

"We'll at your command, Keisuke!" Sun energetically stated.

"Alright, you heard my partner. Let's make this a fight we're going to enjoy." Kuro smirked.

The six contestants were transferred to a map made of cubes, as each cube has a circular light on their top faces, as some of them were larger, and had a floating sign with their point values on it. The Steam Dealers took the first move, as they took a 10-point sector, a 5-point sector, and a normal sector, as the floating scoreboard in front of each of their visions added 16 to their points total, as they were 14 away from the 30-point victory goal.

"Tch. They've already made their move." Ryuji clicked his tongue. "Hey, Keisuke. Do you have any idea how this is done?"

"A bit... I have seen these Domination battles before. We're like game pieces of some sort, only allowed to move a certain number of places, according to the destination's height and distance." Keisuke displayed what he knew about the match format. "There's attacking enemy points, by moving to a space occupied by a enemy, which initiates a Digimon Battle. The loser will be ejected back to the starting point, and the winner gets to take the spot. However, if I recall, damage carries over between these battles unless I used an item for it, right?"

"You're quite experienced with this. I wonder why though..." Chitose said. "Anyway, I'll be going first. We'll start with moving up, and taking the big points, luring the enemy to try and take them, before we send them packing, and go for their sectors that are giving them the most points. It should be a easy task, right? Just don't lose. It'll set back our plan a lot if you made it far only to be defeated by them."

They then moved up, as it was the Steam Hacker's turn, as one of them attacked Ryuji from above, as they both pulled out their Digimon. Ryuji had a green Coredramon, which was a dragon Digmon a much more developed body and long strong limbs, a Dorumon, which was a purple canine Digimon with black claws on its hands, a large, vulpine tail. two pointed ears with black stripes and two very small black wings and a triangular red-gem embeedded on its forehead on its back, and Ryuji's personal partner, his Cyberdramon, which was a hulking Dragon Digimon with a humanoid body, and a rubbery-black armour that had a helmet covering his head, tattered crimson wings on its back, and sharp steel blades on its elbows. The attacking hacker had only a Solarmon and a Hagurumon, which were both metallic Digimon consisting of rotating gears, as their eyes were red lights.

"You picked the wrong opponent. Cyberdramon, Mach Rush." Ryuji stated, as the Cyberdramon, before it then disappeared in a flash of speed, as it slashed down at both of the enemy Digimon, defeating them instantly.

"Wha... How could this be-" The hacker was about to complain, before he was sent back to the starting point.

Ryuji then watched, as the leader made his move, as he moved to a nearby ledge, ready to head down on the next turn, as the other hacker went for Keisuke. They revealed their Digimon, as it turned out to be a BlackAgumon and a ToyAgumon, which was a colourful imitation of the Agumon race with toy bricks.

"Pfft! There's no way that another BlackAgumon can beat me!" Kuro said, before he fired off Bit Fire to beat down the BlackAgumon. "What did I say?"

"Pepper Breath!" Sun roared, as he spat out a orange fireball instead of blue when Kuro used it, as it hit the ToyAgumon, toppling it, allowing Kabuterimon to land the finishing blow on it, sending the hacker away.

With only the leader out in the actual playing field, Ryuji and Chitose took the nearby 5 point sectors, as Keisuke stepped up to take one of the Steam Dealer's 5-point sectors on the edge, as the scoreboard marked Hudie as the leading team in the battle.

"What? They're actually beating us in this battle!?" The leader exclaimed. "We need to win back the lead!"

He then hopped down on his turn, as the other hackers from Steam Dealers reappeared in their starting points, having taken their turn returning to the game.

"Too late, we'll be taking that 10-point sector you've kindly vacated from. Not a good move, eh?" Chitose taunted, as Keisuke took the 10-point sector, and Ryuji jumped up to the upper level to move next to the 5-point sector, as he was faraway enough to reach the enemy's 5-point sector, while Chitose walked up the leader, and challenged him. Chitose let out his Digimon, which was a Pegasusmon, a white horse Digimon wtih black feathered wings, golden mane, and a red visor with a horn, over its eyes that had green glass, a Ankylomon, which was a large armadillo Digimon with golden spiked armour around its body and limbs, as well as a black mace club on it's tail, and large spikes on its back, and a Syakomon, which was a green slime-like blob living inside a pink clam armour. The leader had a ToyAgumon, a Monodramon, which was a purple small Dragon Digimon with bat-like wings attached to its arms, and a yellow horn on its forehead, and a Gotsumon, which was a humanoid golem Digimon made of rocks and has yellow round eyes.

"Pegasusmon, Holy Shot." Chitose ordered, as the horse Digimon neighed, rearing up, as it opened it mouth, before firing off a ball of searing light that vaporised the Monodramon with a single shot. Syakomon then summoned a waterfall on Gotsumon, that actually knocked the diminuitive golem down and defeating it.

The remaining ToyAgumon tried to fight back with a attack, only for it to hit Pegasusmon without much effect, as it immediately fired off another Holy Shot to win the battle, sending the leader packing from the playing field.

When it was finally the Steam Dealer's turns, the two accomplices immediately moved forward, only to be unable to reach the sectors with the big points, as Ryuji took the last sector needed for victory, resulting in fanfare for the team.

"And I believe that's game, set and match. Heh." Chitose chuckled under his breath, as it returned the participants back to where they came from.

"...I lost. Fine... Just let me go, please..." The leader said. "I'll tell you everything right now."

"Good, you better. We won, so you're spilling the beans right now." Chitose said. "Or else, we're going to have to have our friend 'interrogate' you. And be quick, you don't want to wilter his patience."

"His patience... Wilter?" The leader asked, as he slowly turned his head to Richard. "Uh... U-Uh..."

"Yes... Yesss... Be a good boy... And maybe I won't force you into something you'll regret." Richard sadistically hissed like a snake.

"Uh... I'll tell you now, all we have to do is-" The leader spoke with a fearful tone.

"Let me tell you, pal. What I just threatened you about earlier, was letting you off easy." Richard continued, ignoring the leader's attempt to confess. "No, there are people who have done worse, and let me tell you about one certain upstart punk who decided it's fun to mess around with me for shits and giggles."

"And... And what did you do?" The leader asked, as he dreaded to know the answer, but was too scared to interrupt Richard in his flow.

"Well... Let's begin with when I caught that little shit." Richard said, as he spread his arm out casually. "I *bleep* his *bleep* up, just so that he realised what he just did. And then... That's where the real fun starts, when I showed him pains beyond what even Naraku can bring for him. I-"

 **There has been some scenes omitted, due to the utter graphic and horrifying nature of Richard is implying. This intermission is brought to you by Nitori Brand Consumers. If it ain't made by the best of our best, then we'll open your eyes to a new world of brilliance of inventing!**

"And so, after I finished up, I claimed his digital *bleep* just for a memoir of the good times I had." Richard concluded, as he turned to look at everyone. "Now, he won't be doing anything, real or digital world. He won't be able to sit straight for eternity, and he will feel a certain familiar pain in his *bleep*. So... That is just one time. I've got more accounts, if you need persuading that you don't FUCK with me, capiche?"

Everyone was left with pale faces, as Gus's and Antonio's jaws were open so wide that their avatars signified this by having the bottom jaw hit the ground for comedic effect, as Reimu was so pale that one would think she instantly turned into a corpse here and there. Keisuke was green in the face at the explicit and horrific things he heard from Richard, as he ran over, and vomited off the edge of the platform for the moment, as Ryuji, the hard-boiled veteran who has seen a lot of terrible things in his life as a hacker, was actually internally screaming in utter terror of what Richard truly is, and Chitose was left speechless, as he was about to bullshit about Richard doing those things, only for Richard to snatch the opportunity, and turn the exaggeration of the tales up to eleven.

On the other sides, the Steam Dealer members were left completely fainted, as their minds were truly scarred permanently from the horrors that spilled forth from Richard's mouth, and the leader was the only one who was standing, as he soiled his avatar's pants, both with his own urine and feces, which was said to be impossible, as he immediately knelt on the ground, and repeatedly slammed his head on the platform in frantic bowing for respect.

"I'msorryI'msorryIwaswrongIwaswrong!" The leader spilled his words like a utter flood. "Iwon'tcrossyoueveragain,noIwon't,nonono,we'lldisbandandleaveEDENforever,we'llcontributetosocietytothebestofourabilitiesjustpleasepleasePLEASEsparemejustthisonce!WehaveabulletinboardwherewecontactMephistoandthey' 'sallIknow,sweartoallthegodsandgoddesses,justdon'tdoanyofthattome!IBEGYOU!We'llsendallofourstuffifit'llappeaseyou!"

He then typed on his Digivice at the speed of light, as they were given the entire fortune of the Steam Dealers, with the information, the mass of wealth they accumulated, as well as some rare programs they collected.

"I'mgoingbyebyebye!" The leader said, as he got up, and ran like the wind for the nearest server transfer pad.

Richard then raised a eyebrow at the rest of his team's expressions. "What? It worked, at least! Don't deny that Chitose was going to bullshit about all that?"

"You're scary, Richard. Real, real scary..." Chitose whimpered. "How about you... you let me do the bluffing next time? We need our target to be standing and conscious to be able to succeed, not make their souls fly out of their mouth at the mere mention of the...horrors you described."

"Never have I heard such... such horrors before." Reimu blanched. "Richard, please never talk about this, EVER. I think that even Yuuka is going to be sick after hearing all that."

"Really? I really hit the sell a lot there." Richard shrugged. "Well, if it's got your guys jittery. Fine. I'll stop."

Everyone took a collective sigh of relief, as they are ensured that this verbal nightmare will never come to surface again to torment more innocent lives.

"Alright, we'll be meeting Mephisto soon." Ryuji said. "With Richard's... words. We have their most recent appointment with him, which we can use to find Mephisto. I only hope that the information is true."

* * *

 _In Kowloon, where Mephisto's deal was..._

The group, minus Chitose, who returned to deal with some other matters, managed to track the location to a specific area in Kowloon, as they found Mephisto and one of his accomplices being attacked by a group, as Mephisto's Growlmon was being taken by a group of heroes that seemed quite oddly familiar to Richard.

"Hey... Hey, Mephisto? MEPHISTO!" The accomplice cried, as Mephisto fell to the ground with a thud.

' _Wait... Why the hell is Aiba not here? They're supposed be the leader of this group, at least!_ ' Richard furiously thought, as he struggled to keep his expressions stoic and keeping silent, as he examined the group, which a group of humans and miscellaneous beings that Richard had no clue about, other than their phsyical races, escorted by Kyubimon, Gaomon, and Terriermon. _'Wait... This is very weird... Could it be what Mirei was talking about? The other group? Must be some sort of AU... But that still doesn't explain why canon is going as it is, even if the changes are merely just new people like us..._ '

Keisuke and Ryuji were surprised at how the Growlmon was being absorbed by the leading girl's Digivice, before it then produced a Guilmon, who seemed to be grateful.

"Sachikomon… save Guilmon?" The newly-created Guilmon asked the girl who saved him.

"Uh… Yeah. That's right." The girl replied with a nod and a smile.

Hearing the name 'Sachiko' from Guilmon, caused Richard to jolt still, as his expression lost control, as his mouth was left open and his eyes wide with realisation, as he recalled the words that Mirei left him with.

 _"I will tell you something that you must learn immediately..." Mirei said, before shifting to a serious tone. "...You and your friends are not the only ones that exist outside here. You will know the names 'Sachiko' and 'David' in time..."_

Richard then clenched a fist, as he stared at the group.

 _'Mirei...'_ Richard thought fiercely. _'You were quite damn right about what you said. We aren't the only ones here..._ '

Richard locked his gaze on a certain boy in the group, who seemed to be blonde, with heterochromatic eyes of light blue on his left, and dark blue on his right, wearing a black jacket over his ice-blue shirt, as a snowflake pendant that shone in the light laid on the centre of his chest.

 _'...Because there are heroes here as well... Dimensional-travelling people with the power to change fate and fight against destiny, unconquered by anyone except those in the same class as them, and powerful enough to be beyond such limitations..._ _And I just found the ones of this reality.'_


	7. Chapter 6: Clash and Ultimate-Level

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 6: Clash and Ultimate-Level

* * *

Richard remained silent, as he breathed deeply through his almost-closed mouth, as he was glaring as the other team were talking with Guilmon. He then turned his head to Keisuke and Ryuji.

"Keisuke. Ryuji. I want to ask a favour of you. Whatever I do here, you can ask me to complete any request you so wish for me to pay the favour back." Richard spoke in a clipped tone, as his expression was tense. "I... I want you to stay as far away from the group as you can."

"...Why is that?" Ryuji asked back.

"...I have a feeling that this won't end well." Richard hesitated for a moment, before he spoke in a much more shakier tone. "Please, Ryuji, Keisuke, just listen to me. I... I have something that I must deal with. And it regards this group. Just leave, please... Keisuke, I'll jump back to the EDEN entrance and meet you there when all is clear... You can't log out, because doing so means the same for all of us, since we're linked to you. So please, just this once, let me sort out the problem we have created with our own hands..."

Ryuji remained silent, as he examined the look in Richard's eyes, which is strained with pleas and compassion, before he then nodded.

"I'll take care of things then, Kage." Ryuji said, suddenly speaking in Richard's hacker alias, as if he understood what Richard wanted. "Come on, Spectre. We must leave."

Ryuji then walked away, as Keisuke turned at Richard, with a worried look.

"Don't go doing anything stupid... Please..." Keisuke mouthed.

"I won't... I'll be fine. Just go..." Richard answered back, keeping the inner turmoil in him under control with a lot of difficulty.

Keisuke then turned around, and left, as they took the teleporter to leave the area.

"...I guess this was inevitable, huh..." Richard said, as he glanced at how there was Shuichi Saihara, the blue-black haired detective, and Himiko Yumeno, the red-haired witch, among the group. "This is what the other reality has for their saviours... their... 'heroes... Heh... "

He then turns to Antonio and Reimu. "Keep to our alias when they can hear and see us... Don't forget, we cannot afford to have our true identities found by them or anyone else in their team that is not here, or else..." Richard spoke with a solemn tone. "Gus, I want you to go with me. If they so much twitch to start a fight, I want you to support me until Antonio and Reimu join the fight."

"...Richard... Is this really the only way we can talk to these people?" Gus said, with a grimace on his face, as he doesn't seem to be happy about what Richard was going to do. "Surely... Surely there can be away we can reach a compromise with the other heroes here..."

Richard remained silent, as he bowed his head slightly, as he muttered something under his breath, with a shaky tone. "No... No. There is... not."

He then summoned Kuro, as Gus summoned Sun to his side, as BlackGreymon and Agumon looked at their masters.

"Kuro... I want to ask you to do something for me." Richard told his Digimon partner. "Until I tell you it's all done, do not call me Richard. Either call me Master, or Kage, if you wish to keep some of your friendship with me when you speak to me."

"...Why is that Richard? Is there something wrong?" Kuro asked.

"I... I am about to enter a situation where I must keep my real name, the one I told you, hidden." Richard said, before he turned to Sun. "Sun, I want you to do the same for Gus, except call his Phoenix, since I know you won't degrade Gus by calling him Master."

"...I don't know why you want to do this, but I understand, if it's really something you must do." Sun nodded.

"Please help... Kage, Sun." Gus said, as he paused to change what he was going to say as Richard's name. "I only hope that this won't go as badly as I would have thought..."

Richard walked towards the group, as Gus followed after him with a neutral expression, as Richard let his inner worry and doubts fall away, as it was replaced with the hard logic and calm nature of a leader of a organisation who hides among the shadows.

"Who are you?" Richard spoke in a very even tone, as he walked into view of the group, as everyone turned to him, as they were just finished talking to someone else.

"Excuse me?" The blonde-haired boy that lead the group asked. "Who are YOU?"

"My name is not of your concern." Richard stated back. "What are you doing here, among Kowloon? You defeated Mephisto here, but what is your true purpose here?"

"What am I doing here!?" The leader replied back, as he crossed his arms. "I live here, you dolt!"

"...Is that so?" Richard replied back with nary a single flicker of change in his tone or expression. "I find that hard to believe, considering that you are most definitely a world-traveller, with that out-of-place attire of yours."

"O-Out of place!? What about you?" The boy answered back, as he threw a arm out. "Come on! You're trying to tell me that in all of the world-hopping, I can't come home every once in a while!?"

"So you admit to it." Richard responded back, as his voice became a little more heavier in tone, as Gus looked at Richard, as the friend felt that Richard was getting close to reaching the breaking point of the conversation. "And you claim this is your home-world. I don't judge you by that, since I have seen many people that are like you, from so many different worlds."

"What?" The boy asked, as his eyes widened. "Are you some sort of clairvoyant with a knack to ticking off people with those words of yours? Because you are really getting on my nerves here, and I'm a nice guy, so stop with that agitating tone, now."

The boy's light blue eye began to glow with some light, as Richard did not seemed to be fazed in the slightest by it.

"Agitating? I am merely speaking in a neutral tone. Is there anything about me about my words that is confronting?" Richard spoke with a thin smile, before he then scowled. "Alright, you want that? Let me ask you this: Where is Aiba."

"Aiba? What the hell are you talking about?" The leader asked back.

"Takumi Aiba. Ami Aiba." Richard spoke in a more direct and forceful tone. "They are the ones who are supposed to be the 'other one' of this little prophecy. Just like Keisuke Amazama is the shadow, Takumi or Ami is the light in contrast to that. Keisuke is a true hacker, and Aiba took hacking reluctantly to fulfil their goal for the Kuremi Detective Agency. They were supposed to go for Mephisto and defeat him, and yet here, I instead find you and your group, instead of either of them. Care to explain?"

"You think this is some sort of set prophecy? Some sort of game!?" The boy roared, as he was outraged by what Richard said.

Richard merely chuckled a little, as his eyes shifted to a more sarcastic and envious look.

"No, this is not a game. No, no, no." Richard answered back with a lighter tone, shaking his head with a smile. "This is reality. All of this is. And you know what that means...?"

Richard then looked back at the boy right in the eyes, with a very resentful look in his eyes, and a growl on his face.

"This is NOT your playground either. Not somewhere where you are free to mess with the people and the worlds as you please, pretending to be a hero because you unrightfully taken the place of someone who was destined to deal with this mess." Richard growled.

The boy was taken aback by Richard's words.

"I don't know who the hell you are, thinking that you have the right to mock me in being a air-headed otaku who believes that this world, the world of Digimon, is a game to me, when you are far worse. I don't know how, but whether it was intentional or accidental, you wiped the very existence of either Aiba from this timeline, and in its place, you have been crowned the hero, giving us the 'casus belli' to do whatever you wish to this world." Richard replied back, as his tone become more angered and his growl grew further. "You have screwed up the very history of the world by coming here, and not in a good way. At least when I came here, I managed to keep the past events of this place intact by making myself and the others merely extras and non-plot altering NPCs, since you think I make of this as a game, in Keisuke's party, helping him achieve the things he would together with him, meaning that the events transpire as they should. Whether you are aware of that or not, I care not. So tell me, as I ask you again: What is your true purpose here? To toy with the people, or to find some sort of Macguffin?"

The boy was left silent, before he then growled back, as he was about to retort.

"Save me your words." Richard replied back. "Since you're so pissed off at me, I know you want to fight me right here and now, and thrash my ass down to the ground. But remember that your little rules don't apply here. There are rules in this world, that I abide by. So I'll tell you this, your Digimon versus mine. If we win, you will TELL us the true reason you came here. If you win, I'll tell you why I have come here, and what our purpose is."

"...Fine." The boy said. "Then we will do that. At least I'll tell you my name, since you're not willing to give me yours. My name is David Ishihara, leader of the Brave Adventurers, second-in-command of the Hero Alliance, legendary demon-hunter and icon of the masses."

Richard merely scoffed, regarding the last title, before he then moved Kuro in front. "Then I'll tell you my name here." Richard replied back. "My alias is Kage, companion of Keisuke Amazama, and member of the hacking group Hudie. As for who I am outside of this facade, I'll tell you that I am a leader of a wandering group much alike yours. I like to see what you have got, considering that your Renamon is weak to both my Kuro, and Pheonix's, my friend's, Sun."

"...It would nice to battle you, David." Gus said, as he seemed to be trying to amend for Richard's hostile attitude. "I'm sorry we couldn't meet in a better situation, but I've sworn to help my friend in these times."

"I... Uh, thanks, I guess." David said, a little surprised by Gus's sincere attitude. "Sachiko, you're up with Terriermon, and you too, Al, you too with Renamon."

"Right, we won't disappoint you, David and everyone!" The girl that was taking care of Guilmon before said, as she brought Terriermon in front of her. "Terriermon, let's do this!"

"Well, you can't win some without betting some!" Al, who was a blue-haired girl with goggles on her head, and a outfit consisting of a turquoise cape with a blue armoured blouse with a skirt and stockings. "Come on, Renamon, let's show these guys we mean business!"

"Woah! These Digimon look like that they're pretty strong, even in their Rookie forms!" Sun commented. "Well, It doesn't mean that I'm not pumped up to have a good fight with them!'

"Are you kidding me?" Kuro said. "These Digimon aren't going to be able to beat me with any chance. I've been fighting Rookie Digimon so much lately, especially those trained by those hackers, that I feel like they're out of my league!"

"We're not ready yet. Allow us to show you our real power!" Sachiko said, as she whipped out her Digivice, as Al did the same. "DIGIVOLUTION!"

Renamon and Terriermon soon transformed in a flash of light, as they turned into Kyubimon and Gargomon respectively.

"Let's see what you think of us now, big guy!" Gargomon said back to Kuro.

"Heh, I take back what I said. This is going to be quite an interesting battle. Much better than the snore-fests or simple fries I have to deal with, eh, Kage?" Kuro said to Richard.

"Just be careful. Go for Kyubimon, your Virus Attribute should overwhelm her easily." Richard advised his companion. "I'll be sure to keep you up and running, but only while you can still stand. So don't go down, alright? I don't have any Revive Capsule to help if either of you go down. They actually managed to remove Renamon's weakness as her new form is Fire-Element, meaning that she won't take extra damage from the lost weakness. Just don't attack Gargomon, or get hit by him, he's a Vaccine-Type which could be dangerous for you. Let Sun deal with him, or distract him long enough for us to take down Kyubimon and make the fight two-on-one."

"Do the same as Kage told us, Sun!" Gus ordered. "I think he might be able to guide us to victory."

"Aye aye!" Sun said.

"Let me start you off with something to warm that little fur of yours! Bit Fire!" Kuro said, as he fired his special move at Kyubimon, as the vulpine Digimon moved around to dodge his attacks, before she then fired off a purple flame wisp at Kuro, as he dodged to the side, as it brushed against his side barely. "Whoa, that was a close one!"

"Gargomon, use Gargo Pellets!" Sachiko commanded her Digimon partner.

"Alright, have some Gargo Pellets, hyah!" Gargomon called out, as he fired both of his vulcans at Sun, the Agumon forced to run around in a circle surrounding Gargomon, to avoid the pursuing attack.

"Pepper Breath, Sun!" Gus said, as Sun jumped into the air, as he fired off his fireball at Gargomon, which caused the rabbit Digimon to flinch a little, before he then shot forward and hit Gargomon with a Heavy Strike, as he latched himself onto Gargomon's chest.

"Get off me!" Gargomon said, as he attempted to get Sun off him, as Kuro and Kyubimon were trading attacks, as they struck each other with various attacks, Kuro using Wolkenapalm for close-combat, Meteor Fall, which was a rain of meteors, and Bit Fire to hit Kyubimon from a distant range, while the Kyubimon used Dragon Wheel to charge at Kuro, and Will'o'Wisp and Burst Flame, which was a burst of fire from Kyubimon's mouth that snaked forward, for her ranged attack, as they eventually traded blows.

"Geez, you're still not down?" Kuro said, as he was beginning to get exhausted and injured from fighting so long. "What kind of Digimon are you? You definitely ain't just some ordinary Viximon who evolved naturally through age, I tell you! You're fighting as if you've done all this before."

"I was once the Digimon of a person who saved the Digital World once, just like the other Digimon that we have." Kyubimon responded back. "It will take more than that to take me down."

Richard raised a intrigued eye-brow, as he heard that. _'Hoh? Then this Renamon is Rika's very own?_ ' He thought to himself, as the two Digimon continued to duke it out. _'I'm quite intrigued as to how David got them. Surely must be some sort of meeting they had, or they have been seperated from their original owners, and joined whichever hero they first meet. Not like I would take them: It is impossible for both the canon Terriermon and Renamon to be even in this timeline unless it was due to spacial-chronological fuckery._ '

"Well, it's been fun having a good fight with you, but I've come here to win, and that's what I'm going to do." Kuro said to his opponent. "If we meet again, we'll be much stronger in our new forms. Maybe you'll win against me next time."

"What do you mean?" Kyubimon asked, as she noticed that Sun has already fell on the ground, exhausted, as Gargomon picked him up, and threw him in front of Richard and Gus. "Your partner has already been defeated."

"Maybe, but so are you. Hit Charge."Kuro said, as his clawed hands glew with blue light, before he then unleashed a Wolkenapalm towards Kyubimon's head, as she was surprised by how fast Kuro was moving, and didn't have enough time to dodge, as she was conked out by the blow. "See what I mean?"

Kuro then turned to Gargomon, who is a little injured from Sun's attacks on him. "Alright, big bunny." Kuro said, as he raised his arms. "I see that this isn't going my way by the looks of it. But still, I ain't one to throw in the towel, just because I don't have much of a winning chance, since you're strong against me, as I am weak to you. Let's see if I can overcome fate, eh?"

"Sorry, but I think you really should lie down." Gargomon said, before he then fired off Gargo Pellets on Kuro's legs, forcing the big BlackGreymon to kneel, as he found himself unable to stand.

"...Welp, I guess I've stretched myself too far." Kuro said. "Sorry, Kage. But I lost the battle. These guys are pretty strong after all!"

"It's alright. You beat one of them alone." Richard said, as he returned Kuro back into his Digivice to recover. _'You did well already. To have fought the ones who beat the D-Reapers with the help of three others... You're pretty powerful indeed, Kuro, and I'm proud of your growth._ '

Sachiko and Al high-fived each other, as they cheered for their victory, as David walked to Richard.

"Alright, you lost." David said. "You had a good fight, but you never had a chance to win to begin with. We aren't pushovers for the sake of it. Now drop that arrogant tone of yours, and tell me what you have planned to do here."

"Since when I have acted arrogant, David Ishihara? The only feelings I ever shown is resentment and anger, and some intrigue, I admit. And sarcasm, if you count my laugh before." Richard replied back with a calm expression. "But a deal is a deal, and I am a person who never goes back on my words. Remember that all I say is the truth and only the truth. We have appeared in Akihabara, where the events of the Cyber Sleuth incident and the Hacker's Memory incident occur on the same timeline, at the same moments. Considering that I met Keisuke, I became a member of Hudie in order to assist him in his endeavours, only making sure that he is able to overcome the threats presented before him, with or without our help. This was because of a transportation malfunction, that has left the friends I took with me scattered to the four corners of EDEN. I have only found my friend, Phoenix as we call him in this world, after some searching, and two other friends."

"Two other friends?" David asked, as he pointed at Reimu and Antonio, who were watching the conversation from afar. "You mean them?"

"Yes. Now that I have told you everything I know with the truth. We wish to find a way out, but considering Keisuke's plight, and the fact that I don't have all of my friends or a way to return, I will stay to fight off the Eater threat." Richard answered back.

"Eaters? You met those creatures!?" David said.

"By the sounds of it, you must have met them already." Richard stated. "Tell me, how did your first encounter of the monsters of data went?"

"The Eaters... They attacked Sachiko and...she's an EDEN Syndrome victim." David said in a solemn tone. "Sachiko has a half-cyber body, able to enter and exit any interface from any terminal or television screen."

 _'...So she's taken a place as Aiba then..._ ' Richard thought, as he saw David tear up a little in his eyes.

"That's why... I've been busy helping Sachiko get her body back. Besides, this is my home. People expect me to be the one to defend it from any tragedies." He continued.

Richard remained silent, as he refused to mock David's kind heart to save his friend.

"I see." Richard spoke in a more understanding tone. "So the reason you have been entangled in all of this, is because the incident has claimed one of your own as collateral. That is why you seek to end it, so that your friend will be cured then? Then I have nothing to say."

Richard then turned around, as he was prepared to leave. "I see that you are a genuine hero, David Ishihara. A kind soul with a determination to see things through." He continued. "But that... is also a weakness, for every hero has it. You and all other heroes only consider a few perspectives out of many without the guidance of someone higher. If you truly wish to care for all of the masses... _**You must consider all of the perspectives that have been put forth, even the ones that you revile.**_ "

He then walked to leave, as Reimu and Antonio followed after him, as David is left thinking about what Richard said, before he then rushed after Richard. "Wait...!" He said, as he tried to catch up with Richard.

However, Richard already left the area through the transporter.

"I hope that we'll never meet again in this world." Richard said his final words to the hero. "Perhaps we will encounter each other again in another world."

He then disappeared with the group.

* * *

 _At the EDEN Entrance..._

Keisuke immediately met with Richard's group, as he seemed to be quite worried for how long he was gone. "Oh, Richard! Are you alright? You were gone for so long that Ryuji had to pass the details of the Hudie member meeting to me through messaging!"

"Yeah... We're fine." Richard said with a stony tone. "The matter is dealt with."

"Anyway, what Erika, Chitose and Ryuji were talking about, is that we managed to get some information from that accomplice of Mephisto's." Keisuke explained. "We discovered that the Digimon programs are able to affect the mindof people, through their digital data for their mental behaviours, due to the digitisation of the mind when logging into EDEN."

"So, it'll be like possessing someone?" Antonio asked, as he shivered. "That's scary..."

"They also talked about how some corporate users have been talking with Mephisto, and we located a suspicious company named Yummy Banking." Keisuke said. "It's where the lost accounts went, and so we're about to go in and infiltrate it to retrieve them back for the clients."

"I see..." Richard said, before he then opened up his status, as he looked at the status of his Digimon. "Huh. That's actually quite impressive, fighting the originals yielded so much combat experience and residual data from the ensuing battle, that I can make my Digimon a Ultimate. And Gus's Sun is so powerful that a few battles should net enough data for that little Agumon to put straight for Ultimate as well. But first, we'll need to head back to the Digilab. Remember the Digimon I told you to mark down in the Digimarket?"

"Yeah? What about it? I think they're still in the stock." Keisuke asked back.

"Then we're going to get some new Digimon..."

* * *

 _After a while... In the DigiLab..._

The group looked down at the Tsunomon and the Viximon that they purchased from the Digimarket, as they jumped and played around, as they fed themselves on the edible wildlife of the DigiFarm island, which was shrunken down to fit on the console screen.

"Where we're going, I don't think taking these In-Trainings would be a good idea." Richard said. "We'll use the DigiFarm to get them some natural growth, so that we won't need the residual data of the defeated to bring them up to date in their Rookie and Champion Forms."

"They look quite cute like this." Antonio remarked, as he had his eye on the Tsunomon. "Will they be like this each them they Digivolve?"

"No, but they'll go from cute to downright cool, Antonio." Richard assured his hedgehog pal. "You'll be surprised when I have the final evolutions down for them. What nickname do you plan to give it? It's going to be yours after all!"

"How about... Bolt? It fits my name as Flash, doesn't it?" Antonio suggested, as he turned to Reimu. "What about you, Reimu?"

"...I'll call her Ran. It'll be a good reminder of that gap hag's shikigami of a fox." Reimu said. "I hope she will be quite hard-working and do the stuff for me."

"Oh, typical Reimu." Gus smirked. "We know you hate having to do much work. But remember that some things are only fun and worth it if you do it yourself."

"Yep, I live by the same motto." Kuro said, as he seemed to have Digivolved into a BlackMetalGreymon, as he was a bigger mechanized version of Greymon, gaining a metallic arm, helmet, and wings, as his wings were black and tattered. His chest was also covered by the same metal plating, although there were cylindrical shafts on his chest. He then lifted his metal arm, as he looked at it. "It looks quite slick to be in this form. I can't wait to see what kind of damage it can deal against anyone I face."

Sun soon moved aside Kuro, as he turned into a Greymon, which was a different-coloured version of Kuro's BlackGreymon form, as his horn was brown instead of black. "So this is what it's like to be a Champion? If I was like this in the last fight, I would have been able to win against Gargomon!"

"Past is the past." Gus stated. "We've got a mission to do. I heard Ryuji's coming with us again."

"Then why wait?" Richard said, as Kuro grinned with his fangs showing. "Let's bust some Digimon security!"

They soon left the lab, as Mirei was smiling, as she had footage of David and Richard's meeting.

"This is truly evolving beyond my standards." Mirei said. "In time, perhaps I will see what the new future that I cannot predict, will bring. This is merely a taste of it, I know."

* * *

A/N: To all Dimensional Heroes-verse authors, I would like to say that the portrayal of David, Sachiko and their teammates was done with some help from David through some messages, although I had to make some parts up, using the base character and personality of each character to write down their reactions and dialogue. David Ishihara told me to go ahead and write this up without him, as he gave the go-ahead for every other author who wanted to continue their stuff without him. This chapter will be subject to change, as I will need to see if David needs changes to it.


	8. Chapter 7: Kayaba and Additions

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 7: Kayaba and Additions

* * *

 _In the Yummy Banking's financial server..._

"All this gold is hurting my damn eyes..." Antonio complained, as he squinted his eyes to try and limit the searing effect that the entirety of the server being coloured gold has on them. From the platforms to the small flashes of data that passed by in the background, everything was coloured gold.

Ryuji then turned to Keisuke, as he had his Cyberdramon partner by his side. "Is this the first time you've infiltrated a server, Keisuke?" He asked the newest member of the team.

"I can't say. This place looks a lot different to Kowloon and its underground for sure..." Keisuke replied back. "Although it does bear some similarities in its structure with EDEN servers. Is this because this is some sort of magical transformation that affects the server from our avatars, allowing us to infiltrate it like a thief would with a building?"

"It is a good comparision." Ryuji nodded back. "These servers are constructed to allow avatars to move around in it. This has both pros and cons, but 'trust' is their biggest advantage. Constructing servers in Cyberspace is a way to visualise the cybernetic securities that lurk within it. Above all, EDEN's system is a cutting-edge fortress of security. Just having a server in EDEN garners instantly a certain kind of social credibility. With conventional hacking, it would be almost impossible to touch server security from the everything changed with the advent of avatars and the Digimon programs. This creates the downside of allowing high-level hackers to infiltrate them, due to that major flaw. And of course, the admins are aware of this, and have counter-measures for that. The proof is that servers like these are often 'unmanned', meaning that they have Digimon like these are their security. Like so."

Ryuji then gestures to a group of Digimon that are patrolling the cyberspace area, as the groups consisted of Solarmon, Fanbeemon, which were small cute Bee Digimon with a almost near plushy rendition of the honey bee, Goldsukamon, which were golden slime-like slug Digimon with angelic wings wearing lots of jewelry, and dark gold teeth and spots, and golden Guardromon, which were stocky robot Digimon with a large metallic golden body, rocket jets on their backs, and a valve on their chest.

"They're quite confident in their security." Ryuji said. "We'll charge through there. Take special care not to injure that pride of theirs."

"Aye aye, that translate to fight only when we need to, and find our juicy target quickly, right, Ryuji?" Richard said, as he summoned Kuro. "By the way, Kuro has Digivolved again, and so has Sun. We have two more Digimon that I plan to bring out when they're at least Rookie Level. But for now, you're going to have to rely on Kabuterimon, and our duo."

Gus did the same, as Ryuji examined the Digimon carefully. "I see. Then that is more reason to make this a easy trip through the server."

They then immediately make their way through, as they cleanly wiped out any Digimon, wild or secuirty, with little ease, by either Mega Flame from Sun, or Kuro's simple claw-slashes, or even a Electro Shocker from Kabuterimon. As they made their way through, they were stopped when they saw that their path forward did not exist, and there were several server consoles in reach of them.

"Tch... We don't have a way forward..." Reimu clicked her tongue in a frustrated tone, before Keisuke then walked up. "You have a idea, Keisuke?"

"Yeah... I think I can use a Hacking Skill for this." Keisuke replied, as he opened up his Digivice, as a user interface regarding the console appeared in front of him, as he fiddled with it. "One second..."

He then manages to finish up, as several of the paths before disappeared, as new ones appeared in different locations, linking some of the isolated platforms together.

"Why do I get the feeling that this is going to take a long, long time?" Gus said, as he walked with the group, as they went to another server console, as Keisuke fiddled with it to change the paths set in the area.

After some time, and a lot of puzzling around with the set-up of the consoles, they manage to clear a way forward, as they appear in another area, which has some missing paths to the central terminal that is holding the missing accounts, and a lot more consoles than before to use.

"...You have got to be kidding me." Gus spoke with a annoyed tone.

"Look on the bright side. I've got HP Capsules and Sprays, SP Capsules and Sprays, Cure programs aplenty." Richard tried to comfort his friend. "Besides, it's a situation where one stone kills two birds: The long walk actually allows us to encounter more wild Digimon and the security Digimon, so that we can plunder them for precious programs and residual data."

"No Revive Capsules?" Keisuke asked.

"Some." Richard nodded his head. "Not like these pansies are going to make us use it. Now, get cracking, hacker whiz. You're the one helping us getting across, so don't make us run too long in circles. Stamina is a thing for Digimons as well, apparently."

"Right... Right away." Keisuke stuttered, before he then went for the next console, as he did his hacker magic on it to alter the structure of the area.

After some more puzzling with the paths, they manage to make a solid pathway from the entrance to the central terminal, as Ryuji immediately went on the terminal, opening up his user interface, and disabling any alarms that are attached to the terminal.

"Okay, security's off." Ryuji said, before he then continued to tap onto his user interface. "It looks like all of the accounts they bought from Mephisto are here. Chitose, can you hear me?"

"Yep, loud and clear! I made sure to seal up the backdoor we exploited, so they won't have a single clue of what happened!" Chitose reported back. "I'll take care of the rest, you're all done here."

"Chitose will extract all of the account data on the server, since I have made a direct connection between him and this information terminal." Ryuji said. "Like he said, our part here is done-"

"My my, now what have we here? And where you do you think you're doing with my precious money supply?" A male voice called out from somewhere.

"...Kayaba." Ryuji growled, as a man with short blonde hair, a red suit and black cloaks, as well as sunglasses over his eyes.

"You!?" Keisuke exclaimed.

"So the server owners don't employ hackers, you just patrol the server yourself? With those Digimon under your control." Ryuji said, before he scoffed. "Talk about a hard worker."

"Who would trust hackers on a payroll? I should be the one to look after my personal piggy bank!" Kayaba snorted back derisively. "That way I can catch any hyenas after my precious piggy... An ounce of prevention's worth a pound of cure and all that, eh?"

"Can't argue with that." Ryuji stated.

"So what, you're going to pummel us?" Richard asked back. "We didn't come here just to leave empty-handed, Mr Kayaba."

"Hmph. If you're wondering what those accounts I bought off Mephisto were for, those accounts belong to a certain company's top brass." Kayaba sneered. "Going straight for my big moneybags, aren't you. I certainly hope you don't expect me to take this lying down, do you?"

"Nope, and I don't care." Richard retorted back. "How about I beat your ass, and then leave? I get the sense of gratification of laying it flat on the ground, and we get to take more of your shit when your Digimon are down."

"Tch. This is why kids and you cheeky upstart hackers have no appreciation of money these days!" Kayaba roared back. "There's no 'clean' or 'dirty' when it comes to cash! Money is potential in itself, you can do anything you want with enough of it! Paupers can travel the world! Invalids can cure any disease! Even your most hated foes will kneel before you in disgrace! Anything's possible!"

"That is the most hypocritical statement I have ever heard. And I'm already greedy as it is." Reimu scoffed back. "You are far too opportunistic for your own good, at least I don't ruin innocent lives for this kind of money."

"So!? What's wrong with putting one's nose to the grindstone to earn said potential!? What's wrong with raiding a few accounts to get it!?" Kayaba retorted back.

Keisuke grit his teeth hearing the last statement, as Kayaba then threw his arm up. "And who said I'd let you go without a fight?" He said, as he whipped out his Digivice, as it summoned two Clockmon, which were hooded red goblin-like Digimon that were on top of mechanised clock robots with weapons, and a golden Rapidmon, which was a humanoid poodle Digimon, with its upper body is covered in golden metal, except for the base of its long ears, its midsection, and its thighs which are covered in light cream coloured fur.

"I'll have you return my precious piggy bank... And while I'm at it, PROTECT MY PRECIOUS ACCOUNTS!" Kayaba roared.

Kuro, Sun and Kabuterimon immediately moved forward to engage the threats, as they spread out evenly.

"Well, I think that this fight can be easily won, if we consider the enemy weaknesses." Richard said, as he analysed the current battle situation "Nobody got any elemental weaknesses against the attacks of each other, except for the Clockmon's Idle Bubble on Sun and Kuro, and Awesome Quake against Clockmon. But Rapidmon is a Vaccine Type, meaning that it'll pummel Kuro if it gets a clean shot on him... The Clockmon however... They're Data-Type, so using attacks from Kuro on them should put them out quite quickly. Sun, Kabuterimon, try and take down Rapidmon, and leave Kuro to get rid of the Clockmon. Don't let the Clockmon's Chrono Breakers hit you too many times, or you'll be frozen in time, doomed to be defeated in no time."

"Got that. I won't let those Clockmon do any of that cheap trickery on us!" Kuro said, as he jetted forward, as he grappled one of the Clockmon, and went on to pummel it.

Kabuterimon immediately used Electro Shocker to stun the other Clockmon, as Sun immediately used his Heavy Strike to knock the floating Rapidmon down to the ground, making it more vulnerable to attacks in its downed states.

"What are you damn morons doing!? Get up and fight!" Kayaba shouted at his Digimon, as they got themselves together, as he Clockmon fired off projectiles with broken clocks in them, as their special move, Chrono Breaker, before Rapidmon fired off a flurry of golden lasers.

The three Digimon did their best to dodge, as some of the lasers nicked their bodies at varying degrees, as Kuro's larger size meant he was the worst out of the three, as one of them managed to singe the metal of his clawed arm.

"We have to deal with them quickly!" Richard said. "Kuro, Awesome Quake!"

Kuro nodded, as he stomped his foot on the ground, as it caused fissures to appear on the ground, reaching for the enemy Digimon group, before earthen pilliars erupted out from under them, as they smash the clock robots of the Clockmon, rendering them defeated and helpless, and sending the Rapidmon back into the air, where it was stunned slightly.

Sun and Kabuterimon then finished off the fight with a combination of Mega Flare and Electro Shocker, as fire and electricity mingled together, as the attacks gyrated around each other like twin rockets, as the combined force of the attack took down the armoured golden Rapidmon, defeating Kayaba.

"What!? How!?" Kayaba spoke with sheer awe. "How could I lose!?"

"You didn't get them strong enough, and so you were defeated by those who have adapted." Richard bluntly stated. "I pity you, Kayaba, only one of your attacks actually landed, and we floored you in no time, like I said before."

"Wait, hold on! It's my loss, alright? I admit defeat, that's good enough, surely!?" Kayaba begged.

"Nope, we're destroying them. Such incriminating things should never come to light." Antonio answered back.

"P-Please... ANYTHING BUT THAT!" Kayaba screeched. "Do you have any idea how much time and money it'll take to recuperate my losses without these!?"

"Haters gotta hate." Richard smirked. "You lost, Kayaba, stuck your nose in something you shouldn't have, and you pay the price for it."

"I also took the liberty of copying your business ledger. If you ever get involved with account raiding again, I'll spread this data all over the net. Got it?" Ryuji threatened as well.

"Hacker these days, is this flimsy sense of 'justice' all you care about?" Kayaba clicked his tongue in agitation.

"It's no flimsy sense, it's very much real." Keisuke rebutted Kayaba's mocking words. "Either way, where is my real account!? I know that you have it!"

"What are you jabbering about?" Kayaba asked back. "I only target corporate or government accounts. What would I do with an account from an kid like you? I only used Mephisto, and I never seen anything like yours before!"

"He's not lying. Among the stolen accounts, yours is not in it." Ryuji said, confirming the statement. "Hey, can you think of any other hackers involved in account trading?"

"I heard of some rumours about a skilled account raider. For a time,he was raiding accounts all over EDEN, a real hotshot. I believe that called him... Hosaka. Yes, Akira Hosaka."

"Akira... Hosaka..." Ryuji muttered to himself, before he then cleared his throat. "Very well, remember our warning, Kayaba."

"...Damn brats..." Kayaba swore under his breath, as he saw the group leave.

* * *

 _Outside in Akihabara..._

"Nahhhh ha ha haaa! Another villain bites the dust! Well done, well done!" Chitose clapped his hands together in applause, as they had gathered the group, Keisuke and Ryuji together with him, on the streets below Hudie.

"Well, it is just another villain, there's plenty more to deal with." Richard said with a shrug. "Doesn't matter, since we're getting more and more powerful."

Ryuji then turned to Keisuke. "Hey, why did you think Kayaba was the culprit?" He asked the black-haired hacker. "Did you get some information from anyone?"

Keisuke grimaced a little, before he was about to speak. "I-" He started his sentence.

"Hey, is that, like a fight?" A woman from someone said, as she was pointing down a street.

"Whoa, looks like students...!" Another passer-by, a male businessman said, seeing the scene.

Keisuke heard the sounds of the fight, as he heard the cries of someone quite familiar to him, as he paled greatly, and immediately ran towards the scene.

"Keisuke! Wait! Where the hell are you going!?" Richard said, as he chased after Keisuke, as Gus and Reimu followed after him, as Antonio was left behind.

They soon managed to find two young males, one with blonde hair and the other with brown hair, bullying a boy with short silver hair and grey eyes, wearing a long grey and black wool coat.

"Yo, ain't so tough now, are ya!?" The first one said, as he shoved the silver-haired boy onto a wall. "Pathetic, man. Real pathetic."

"If you're gonna throw down, don't be so wishy-washy about it. You feel me, Yu?" The other boy insulted their target.

Yu didn't even make a sound, as he was looking down on the ground.

"Get away from my friend!" Keisuke shouted with anger.

"Huh, and who're you supposed to be?" The other boy mocked, turning to Keisuke. "We're having a little 'talk', see? And I ain't about to talk through your thick skull, so beat it!"

"Not a chance, asshole!" Richard shouted back. "Back off, or it's your skulls that will get crushed!"

"Wait a minute... Ain't you... ain't you Kage!?" The blonde boy exclaimed. "Yeah, that hacker guy they talk about! And you're Spectre!"

"Oh snap! Yo dawg, let's bounce! Leave that sucker alone!" The brown-haired boy said with some fear in his voice, as both of them sprinted as far as they could from the both of them.

Keisuke then helped get Yu back up. "Yu... You alright? Are you hurt? What just happened back there?" Keisuke asked in a caring tone to his friend.

Yu remained silent, before he then slapped Keisuke's hands away with force, before he raised his head to glare at Keisuke with agitated eyes.

"Who asked for your help!?" Yu roared. "You didn't have to do that! Damnit... DAMNIT!"

Yu then ran off, as Keisuke was shocked by what he saw his friend do. "Yu, wait-" Keisuke said, only for Yu to be out of ear-shot before he could finish that sentence. "What's... wrong...?"

Keisuke then let his head droop. "What... Why is Yu like this?" He asked himself.

"...I don't know, Keisuke. It's not... normal for your friend to be like this." Richard replied. "There must have been something serious that happened, that caused him to be targeted like this. Come on, we have to get back to Ryuji and the others."

"Right..." Keisuke nodded, before he headed back. "I just want to ask a favour from you, Richard... Could you, please go talk with Erika? I have a feeling that... she might know something about Akira Hosaka. At least if she doesn't... Maybe Ryuji then..."

"Now?" Richard said, as he looked at Keisuke, before he then nodded. "Alright, I'll be quick. Tell Ryuji I've went to check on his sister about something."

He then ran up the stairway, that lead him into the internet cafe, as the rest went back to Ryuji and Chitose.

* * *

 _In the Internet cafe, Hudie..._

Richard walked through the rows of internet booths, as he went to the door leading to Erika's room, as he knocked on it a few times.

"Erika, I need to talk. You must have heard what Kayaba said back there, from what Chitose passed onto you." Richard called for Erika. "I need all the information you can get on the person."

There was only silence from the other side, as Richard was feeling uneasy.

"Erika? This is very important. Ryuji's looking into the matter as well, and we need all the things we have and can get. I don't know what you're doing in there, but please, respond back to me? Are you still in there? I can hear your monitor faintly rumbling through this door!" Richard said again, a little more louder and clearer, as he knocked on the door with a bit more force.

And again, no response came, until he heard something inaudible from the other side of the door, although Richard could identity it to be from Wormmon, due to the pitch of the sound.

"Wormmon? You can hear me, right? What is going on in there!? Erika, you're not doing anything bad to him, right!?" Richard cried out. "You can't seriously be unresponsive! If you're listening, I'm coming in!"

Richard then pulled the door, before he was shocked by the sight of what he saw, as he found Erika completely unconscious on the ground, as Wormmon was making desperate sounds, trying to wake her up.

"Wake up, Erika! Please wake up!" Wormmon cried. "Richard! There's something wrong with Erika! she suddenly clutched her head in some sort of pain, before she immediately fainted on the spot!"

"Wormmon, calm down! I'll get her up." Richard said, he grimaced at how he was aware what Erika was suffering from. _'I never thought that Erika's condition would be progressing this rapidly. The headache, I would expect at this point of the incident, but she fainted!? This is not good... It was only later on that it happened. I better push Keisuke to deal with the problems and his little matter, because I don't want to be around to see what happens if more time is wasted while her condition worsens! I guess our presence here does have consequences on the events. Butterfly effect is a double-edged sword, which one has to be careful to make use of both sides._ '

Richard then placed his hands on the side of Erika's head, as he placed his head onto where her heart would be, as he checked for a pulse, as she could hear her clear heart-beat, which was still regular. He then opened up Erika's eyes, with carefully placed fingers, as he saw that her eyes showed that she fainted like Wormmon said. He then put his ear above her mouth, as he could feel Erika's warm and steady breath flowing onto it.

"She's still alive and fine..." Richard told Wormmon. "From these less invasive methods... I can deduce that she's perfectly fine, save for the headache you mentioned earlier, and the fainting."

Richard then lifted Erika up, as he took off the Hudie coat that Erika was wearing easily, before he then folded the jacket into a small square pile, and placed it under her head.

"If I do it like this... She should be able to wake up naturally..." Richard said. "Wormmon, tell me if there are any abnormalities in her systems. If she was regulating something, chances are that her absence will cause big problems.

"Okie-dokie." Wormmon said, as he began to scurry around, looking for several things.

As Richard sat still, Erika slowly came awake, as she blinked her eyes several times, as she looked around.

"...Richard?" Erika asked. "What are you doing here, alone without your friends or Keisuke and the other members?"

"I found you fainted in here, Erika. Wormmon was trying to call for help, but the system's volume was set too low for it to penetrate through the closed door with anything but some inaudible garble." Richard replied back. "You're fine for now, by the looks of it, but what just happened, for you to suddenly end up like this? I'll apologise for breaking into your room uninvited later, but my concern outweighs your authority here."

"...Thank you." Erika said, as he took the jacket that Richard set down as a pillow for her head, as she wore it back on. "I don't plan on punishing you anyway, even if you didn't have a good reason for it. I was unconscious, so you were fine to come in either way."

"You're welcome. Keisuke sent me up here, to get some information about a certain account raider named Akira Hosaka." Richard replied. "Do you have any clues regarding him?"

"He's a pretty nasty hacker in his own right, raiding accounts across EDEN regardless of age or gender, and sold them just as indiscriminately." Erika told her all she knew about the raider. "But that's all I know. His whereabouts are unknown. His activity all but stopped a while ago, so the trail has gone cold. There's too little info on him."

"I see." Richard grimaced a little hearing that. "So that means that there must be some other way to get it hot again?"

"Maybe I could learn something if I borrowed Chitose's malware for a thorough investigation." Erika answered back. "But first, I need to ask that you help me do something. There has been a lot of Digital Wave abnormalities in EDEN lately. It bothered me, so I had Wormmon look into it, before I passed out before. He found a area in Shinjuku where the Digital Waves were messed up badly. I want to check it out, so get Keisuke and the others to come with us to go there. Perhaps there might be clues regarding Hosaka's whereabouts."

"Alright, I'll get that done." Richard said. "Don't worry about us, we'll be fine. I'll keep what just happened a secret for now. It would be embarrassing if our greatest girl hacker just dropped dead from work exhaustion to others, huh?"

Erika merely pouted in response to Richard's joke.

Soon, Keisuke came in with the others, as Erika turned to them.

"What's the news?" Richard asked. "I've got a idea about where we can find some clues about Hosaka, but it will involve a lot of battling with Digimon."

"Nothing much. Ryuji and Chitose just asked about what happened before, and I told them about Yu's problems, and what has happened to him." Keisuke said. "Ryuji seemed to be a little quiet when he heard everything about Yu though..."

"Hm." Richard said. "We'll need to take a trip to the Digilab. Log us in through EDEN. We should be able to directly hop to the DigiLab from the main menu."

"Alright, it's about Ran and Bolt, right?" Keisuke said.

Richard merely nodded back

* * *

 _In the DigiLab..._

"Welcome back. I see that you have come back for your Digimon, is that right?" Mirei asked the group, as she was standing up.

"Yes. How's Ran and Bolt going?" Gus asked.

"They have managed to reach Rookie-level. And with the information that your friend has left, I have picked out the most suitable forms for them." Mirei answered back, as he withdrew the two Digimon from the DigiFarm they were developing themselves in.

In a flash of light, a Renamon much like the one that David's group had appeared, and a Gabumon, like the one that Richard met earlier appeared, as they seemed to be mostly similar. However, when they spoke, they showed a interesting difference of personality.

"So... Is this my mistress?" Ran, the Renamon, asked, looking at Reimu, as she knelt down on one leg. "I will serve you with the best of my capabilities, my holy maiden."

Reimu was left awe-struck at how the Digimon seemed to be quite reverent towards her, as the Gabumon immediately walked over to Antonio, and pulled out a claw for the hedgehog to shake.

"So, you're Antonio, right?" Bolt asked, as he grinned. "Nice to meet you, I'm Bolt, the name which you have given me. I may not live up to my name, but I'll be sure to do my best to win the battle for you and your friends!"

"Oh, it's nice to meet you, Bolt." Antonio smiled, as he took the claw of the Digimon, and shook it wildly. "After all, as one of the fastest beings to be created by natural life, only the fastest for me. You may not be fast now, but we'll be light-speed buddies soon enough!"

"YEAH!" Bolt said.

Mirei then produced two new Digivices, as one of them was cherry-pink, and the other was blue with yellow thunderbolts around the edges.

"Since you will be in need of these, I have taken the liberty of creating these Digivices to match up to your partner." Mirei stated, as Reimu and Antonio took the cherry pink, and the blue symbol-filled Digivices respectively. "If you are in need of some Digivices, feel free to come here. I have quite the spare amount, due to certain matters."

"Is that so..." Reimu stated, as he recalled Ran with a yellow-pink stream of data, and Antonio called back Bolt with a mostly-yellow stream of data, as Antonio was surprised by the process.

"Well, we still got Erika's request to do." Keisuke said. "Thanks again, Mirei."

"You are most welcome." Mirei said, seeing off the group as they left the DigiLab. "You are getting quite closer to the truth. But will you be able to bear its weight, Keisuke Amazama, even with the help of this outsiders? We will see..."


	9. Chapter 8: Suedou and Eaters

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 8: Suedou and Eaters

* * *

 _In Akihabara..._

Erika walked out of the Hudie internet cafe, as she immediately shielded her eyes with her right arm, as the light seems to be quite strong on her.

"So bright... I haven't been outside in forever." Erika stated.

"Wait, so you don't go to school?" Keisuke asked.

"I don't go to school. Did I not tell you? I'm-" Erika said back.

Before Erika could finish his sentence, Yu came over, as he seems to be quite shamed about what happened before.

"Ah." Yu said, as Keisuke turned to face him. "I'm... I'm glad I ran into you. I wanted to say sorry for how I acted last time."

"I forgive you... Yu..." Keisuke said in a melancholic tone, as he placed a hand on Yu's shoulder as a gesture of comfort. "You were conflicted back then, and wasn't thinking straight."

"Thanks, my bad, really, for shouting like that. It was super lame of me... I can't apologise enough." Yu answered back. "About those guys, they were from my class, and I did something to catch their eye. I was actually glad you came with your friends. They were shocked to hear the rumour about you being a hacker, and ran off like cowards."

Richard remained silent, although he felt sad knowing that Yu was unaware his friend became a hacker to help him.

"Anyway, this is the shop you mentioned, huh?" Yu asked, looking at the Hudie sign, and then at Erika. "And who is this kid?"

Erika's eye twitched hearing that statement, as she clenched a fist.

"She's a... She's one of my friends. She's a really good person with computers. We're just taking her out for a walk..." Keisuke quickly made up a lie on the spot, as his eyes shifted a bit in nervousness. "Yeah, that's how it is."

"Uh, it looks like you've got your hands full here." Yu said, as he noticed Erika's reaction. "I'll head off now, man. I'll be in touch."

Erika then unclenched her fist, as her anger dissipated, and she turned around to head down the street. "Let's go already." Erika told the group, as some of her anger was in her speech's tone.

They then went on, as they didn't want to make Erika more agitated by doing otherwise, as they walked alongside her, to create the semblance of a travelling group taking in the sights. Soon arriving at the Shinjuku district through a long walk through the Ikebukuro district, they stop near a set of shops, where Erika stopped, as she seemed to be winded by the walk, despite it being quite leisurely.

"Erika? You alright?" Gus asked, as he was concerned about Erika's condition.

"I'm just tired... after all of the things I have done today. I'm still okay." Erika stated back, as she panted a little.

Richard then looked around, before he immediately noticed someone that he did not want to see. On the other side of the street in front of them, was a slender man with a long black trench-coat, black gloves over his hands, as well as a purple scarf on his neck. When he turned around to face them, Richard saw the sullen red eyes that were very malicious and untrustful inside, and a thin upper lip, as he is slightly hunched over.

' _Akemi Suedou..._ ' Richard thought, as he seemed to be quite familiar with this shady character. ' _Not enough to torture one group of heroes, huh?_ '

"Huh?" Keisuke blurted out, as he noticed Suedou looking at them.

"Hey, that guy looks super suspicious." Erika stated, regarding Suedou's villainous appearance.

"Same here. If he tries anything funny, I'll bust his head with a fist to the face." Reimu said, as she pounded her fist into her open hand.

"But still, he might be a good source of information, whether we have to coerce it or force it out of him." Erika stated. "Go on, say something to him. It looks like he's up to something. I wanna know what it is, so talk to him."

"I'll go." Gus said, as he walked up to Suedou. "Excuse me, sir..."

"Hrrm? Could it be you have some interest in me?" Suedou asked Gus with a low and deep tone.

"We... We wanted to ask if you know a few things." Gus said. "About someone very dangerous. You looked a little suspicious to us, so we had to ask you."

"Suspicious? Meeee?" Suedou drawled, as he scoffed. "Gotta say, I don't see it. But it does explain why people on the street kept shooting looks at me. They thought I was suspicious looking."

"Alright then... If you're not, then what is your business here, in the same place we're investigating?" Richard pressed his question with crossed arms.

"I'm just investigating this anomaly in this location. I have permission to investigate from the police and everything." Suedou replied back with a scratch of his head. "I forget to introduce myself. My name is Akemi Suedou, and I'm a researcher for Kamishiro Enterprises."

' _Bullshit. It's either you're lying through your teeth, or they don't know what you have really planned._ ' Richard thought with hostility to the future-villain.

"Kamishiro Enterprises, you mean like the one that takes care of EDEN?" Antonio asked back.

"Me too." Erika said. "The rest are just with me to make sure nothing happens to me."

"Oh? You too?" Suedou asked back, as he smiled creepily.

"Ah... Um..." Erika fumbled, as she was unnerved by Suedou's smile.

"My my, what a coincidence! You have come to investigate the Digital Waves, too?" Suedou asked back, a little thrilled by the 'assistance'.

"I... uh... I thought it might be the cause behind the recent phenomena in EDEN lately." Erika answered back.

"Oh... yes. Oh yes! What a fortuitous thing!" Suedou giggled with glee. "It seems that I have meet some quite promising youths! Truth by told, I have come here under the same supposition. What say you? How about we look into it together? The wisdom of youth would prove invaluable."

' _Fuck... I really hate this part... Because this will not bode well for Erika..._ ' Richard thought for a moment. ' _But I can't risk defiling canon here and now, since it was Suedou's little happy accident that allowed Keisuke and the others to grasp some ideas that would lead them on the right trail for the truth. So as much as I hate it... We're going to have to fight some Eaters..._ '

"We'll be glad to help... Mr. Suedou." Richard answered back, with some reluctance in his voice. "What do you want us to help you with, since you're the professional?"

"Good! Observe. The Digital Waves values in this area have been abnormally high for the last few hours." Suedou nodded. "Now... We can't say for certain this is different from a virtual space. Energy flows through both the real and virtual worlds."

"And I see where you are getting at. It's true that you can think of Digital Waves as a flow of energy that carries digital information." Erika added. "I've read a hypothesis on the net that similar energy accumulates in areas with mass systems of transit."

"Precisely, young girl! It's possible that all kinds of energy gather in areas such as Shinjuku here, with its throngs of people, and traffic..." Suedou continued explaining his theory. "And yet, based on that theory, this change is quite odd. Even if environmental factors alone are the cause-"

Suddenly, there was a loud buffering sound, as the environment around them began to flicker and waver with blue static lines, startling everyone.

"Hmm!? What!?" Suedou yelled, as he looked around to see the phenomena. "This is-!?"

Suddenly, a purple growing sphere of leaking data appeared, as it soon coalesced around a nearby subway entrance, encasing the entire structure in purple floating digital pixels.

"W-What just happened!?" Keisuke blurted out.

"What in the world-!?" Erika shouted.

"He... Hehehehehe!" Suedou began to laugh maniacally. "Marvelous! Simply marvellous! I'd never thought that I'd witness the moment physical objects mutate into information! Without a doubt, this is the cause of the mysterious phenomena! A state variation caused by the localised increase of Digital Waves! Digital mutation? Transformation? No... Shift! Yes! I'll call this phenomenon a 'Digital Shift'!"

"Digital... Shift?" Erika asked.

"I wonder what is happening inside? Hehehe, I can't wait to see!" Suedou said, as he rushed into the afflicted underground station.

"We're going too!" Erika said, as she chased after Suedou, with Keisuke following after her as well.

Antonio turned to Richard with a fearful expression. "Uh, you sure we can trust this guy? He's utterly coo-coo crazy!" Antonio complained, as he twirled his finger in a circle pointing at his head, as a gesture of mocking Suedou as insane. "We do not mix well with insane and broken people, Richard! We DO NOT!"

"No choice here." Richard refuted back with a shake of his head. "We are here to help both Keisuke and Erika in this little trip. If they run into danger, it won't be good for them without us to negate whatever effects come."

"Hah... You really are sometimes questionable in your judgement, Richard." Antonio sighed. "Once more into the breach, they say..."

The group went down the infected subway, as they found that the area was relatively normal, except for the agitated patches of red flashing pixels, as well as the white and black tiles on the floor being arranged in peculiar digital symbols.

As they saw Keisuke and Erika chase after Suedou, Kabuterimon suddenly appeared, as he wasn't returned into Keisuke's Digivice the last time they logged out.

"Ah, your Digimon, it's-!?" Erika exclaimed, as Suedou turned around, and saw the Digimon.

"Oh, you're hackers, are you?" Suedou asked. "The Digital Shift has progressed further within the station. It's materialising in the same state as in EDEN, right down to the Digital Monsters."

"Digimon materialising in the Real World...!" Erika repeated to herself. "I should have put Wormmon in my device..."

"Hmm hmm... I see..." Suedou mumbled, as he examined the abnormalities in the station. "The interior is within a whirlpool of a special Digital Wave. In other words, this is both the real world, and a world constructed of digital information. Consider it a digitisation of the real world. So then it's possible to artificially tamper with this space? Hehe, brilliant! Truly brilliant!"

"What do you mean, Mister Suedou?" Keisuke asked, confused about what Suedou is trying to say.

"Do you not understand? The real world is shifting into a digital one. One in which the world can be manipulated using programs, in other words..." Suedou answered back, as he grinned widely like a maniac.

"You can hack the world!?" Erika answered back.

"Correct!" Suedou jumped with joy. "This phenomenon is still incomplete. Were it to envelop the entire world, all matter could become transformable."

"The impossible would become possible... amazing!" Erika muttered to herself, as she considering the possibility.

"Hehe... My, that's some flexible thinking you have." Suedou replied back. "It's been a while since I met someone that could follow my line of reasoning. The speed of your insights is unusual. Just like... hmmm... Could it be, are you... Erika Mishima?"

Keisuke and Richard jolted straight, hearing Suedou directly name Erika, as the girl was quite surprised.

"Why do you know my name?" Erika questioned in response.

"As I thought! It's not a big deal. It's just that, I'm your..." Suedou rubbed the back of his head in awkwardness.

They were suddenly interrupted, as a Eater popped out from the junction in front of them, as Richard and Gus reflexively summoned Kuro and Sun.

"That... That thing again!?" Kuro yelled. "Why has it come here!?"

"Uh, Kuro, what is that thing!?" Sun asked, a little afraid of the abomination of data before him.

"It's that thing that devoured avatar data. It slurped up Youji Shiga, the bastard who tried to kill me, like he was a tasty morsel." Kuro answered back.

"Ah, so there were some here after all. That's troublesome." Suedou sighed, seeing the Eater. "And how strange, you can actually speak as a Digimon, the both of you."

"None of your business, shadow man!" Kuro hissed back. "What did you expect? For us to have no intelligence at all!?"

"Ho ho ho... Interesting, interesting." Suedou smirked. "You must have encountered an Eater before, as well? They're my research subject, known as the 'Eaters'."

"Just like what Keisuke and I called them...!" Richard remarked.

"Data in EDEN is eroded when eaten by them, its structures and algorithms sent into disarray." Suedou stated his knowledge of the creature. "In other word, it glitches out. I can't say for sure to what extent the Digital Shift affects our bodies in this space... Still, I doubt we'll get off scot-free if it gets us. Say, the three of you. Would you do me a favour and try fighting that thing? I want to do a field study on whether the Digital Monsters have a resistance against the Eaters. After all, the one in front of you isn't going to let you go."

"So we have no choice to fight...?" Keisuke growled. "Damn it all... This isn't good. We need to beat it, if we're going to make it out..."

"We'll help. If we find a way to make it retreat or damage it, we'll tell you, Keisuke." Richard said.

The three Digimon moved forward to fight the Eater, as they saw that the Eater was being idle for a moment, as its red cybernetic eye darted between each of them.

"It's observing us... For what, exactly?" Gus asked.

"I don't want to find out, Kuro, you know the drill. Use your stronger attacks on it." Richard said.

Kuro nodded, as he attacked first with a Wolkenapalm, as it merely phased through the Eater, as if it was nothing.

"What the!?" Kuro said, as he seemed to be surprised his attack had no effect.

"Let me try! Mega Flame!" Sun said, as he followed up with a massive fireball that struck the Eater, but did not do anything, as it didn't even flinch from the attack.

"... _ **Data is converging...**_ " A hollow and digital voice rang out, as the eye on the Eater glowed more brightly, as its tentacles became more lively.

"Keisuke, if you've got an idea, then hurry up! I don't think the Eater is playing around with us anymore!" Richard frantically said.

"I'll try this! Kabuterimon, Electro Shocker!" Keisuke said, as the bug Digimon fired off its most powerful move, as the electric ball hit the Eater, but it dissipated immediately. "What... What is this thing!?

" _ **Data convergence complete. Erode Terminal.**_ " The Eater spoke in its grating voice, as it suddenly lashed a tentacle towards Kuro, at a fast speed that Kuro was left unable to dodge it, as it smashed through Kuro.

"What!? How did it manage to-" Kuro said, before suddenly, the tentacle glowed, as Kuro began to convulse violently, as he was out of control, as he was mouthing off unintelligible gibberish, as Sun and Kabuterimon attempted to sever the tentacle with brute force, only for the attacks to fail like they did against the main body.

Kuro was left tortured for a while, before the Eater withdrew its tentacle, and Kuro fell to the ground with a loud thud, as he was completely unresponsive, his eyes frozen open.

"Kuro!" Richard cried, as he immediately withdrew the BlackMetalGreymon, before the Eater could do anything more, as he checked the status. "Crap... Either the Eater had enough of its fill of Digimon data, or it was being a little merciful. I lean towards the former. He's literally on the brink of death... If we don't find a place to restore him, he'll die!"

"Crap... Is this really it for us?" Keisuke gulped, as he looked at the dreaded enemy that sent Kuro almost to a quick demise.

Suddenly, the Eater turned away, as it left the area without a single word from it.

"It's running away!" Erika shouted.

"No need to chase it. I have got all the data I need." Suedou told Erika. "No abnormalities, when the Eater tried to consume the Digital Monster, known as 'Kuro', on direct contact. It appears that Digital Monsters have a resistance to the Eaters. If not by much, since it almost killed the entity. The fact alone is a significant dividend from the battle. I thank you for your cooperation."

"Kuro is not a thing, you quack!" Richard angrily replied back.

"..Regardless." Suedou answered back, ignoring Richard's outburst. "We also learned how to oppose them, and we can perform an legitimate investigation-"

"Hey, who's there!? Hurry up and take shelter!" An elderly male voice was heard.

"Tch. I'm in no mood to let anyone interrupt my investigation." Suedou clicked his tongue in annoyance from the interruption. "You two, go back already. Oh, and do keep my involvement in all of this off the record, would you?"

He then walked away, before Erika was about to go after him. "Wait! I'm not done talking-" Erika was about to say.

Suddenly, she felt a splitting head-ache, as she fell to the knees, clutching her head and face with her hands.

"Erika!?" Keisuke asked. "Are you okay!?"

Erika didn't respond, as her nose began to leak blood from one of her nostrils, "Ah... What.. is this... feeling..." Erika moaned, before she then fell to the ground, completely unconscious.

"Erika!? ERIKA!" Gus cried, as he walked to her, and turned her over, as he tried to get her awake. "This isn't the time to be lying like this, get up! We'll get some help once we're out here-"

Suddenly, a elderly man with grey hair, under a green strped beret, as well as a green vintage coat around his body, appeared, as he looked down on Erika with a shocked look, before looking at Keisuke.

"You're Ryuji...! Erika, right!?" The man said. "This is bad... I'll carry you out of here in a hurry! Hey, you all come, too!"

"Who are you!?" Reimu demanded.

"Gorou Matayoshi. I have a responsibility to deal with Ryuji's sister. That is all you should know for now." Matayoshi replied, as he slung Erika's body over his shoulders, as he seemed to be quite fine carrying her, despite his age.

"The old detective?" Richard spoke. "We... We'll talk later. Right now, we both need to take care of Erika's condition, now!"

The old detective nodded, as he carried Erika out of the Digital Shift in the area, as they headed for the hospital nearby.

* * *

 _In the Central Hospital..._

Keisuke looked down at Erika, who is fast asleep in a medical cot, as she seemed to have a peaceful expression.

Soon, Richard and Matayoshi came in, as they were both equally worried about the situation.

"Keisuke, we need to talk about something." Richard said in a solemn tone. "Erika is fine for the time being, but exposing her to the Digital Shift... It was a mistake."

"But how!? One moment, she was perfectly standing and fine, and then suddenly the next moment, she falls down with a bleeding nose!" Keisuke said. "This doesn't make sense in the slightest!"

"That's because you don't know a single thing about Erika's condition." Matayoshi said. "But she has a peculiar illness in her brain. It surfaced when she was in a car accident with her father and mother. They both died in the incident, and Erika was afflicted by it for unknown reasons. It was a condition no-one has even seen. No hospital or professional doctor could find a solution or treatment to it. So Ryuji's gone everywhere else to find for it. A suitable treatment was found here at Central Hosptial."

Ryuji then barged in, as he paced towards Erika, with a aghast expression. "Erika!" He shouted.

"Calm down, Ryuji. Erika's fine. It was just a mild attack this time." Matayoshi assured the girl's brother with calm words.

"Thanks, Matayoshi." Ryuji spoke in a hasty and worried tone, much different to his usual attitude. "For taking care of Erika and-"

"What do you mean? I just happened to be in the area. Your friends were the ones by her side the entire time." Matayoshi answered back, as he walked towards the door. "Well, now that I have seen ya, I'll be on my way."

"Sorry, I'll thank you somehow later..." Ryuji bowed gently at the detective.

"Don't worry about it. I'll see you by the shop." Matayoshi smiled, before he walked past Ryuji, as he tipped his beret down slightly. "Take care, and don't get too down, alright?"

He then left, as he shut the door behind him, as there was a moment of silence.

"...What happened." Ryuji said.

"We have been chasing for clues about Akira Hosaka, since Tooru Kayaba spilled the beans about him being the next suspect." Richard told him the truth. "Erika wanted to head to the Shinjuku area, in order to investigate a anomaly regarding the Digital Waves. And that's how things began to go downhill..."

"What do you mean?" Ryuji asked. "Tell me what you did and saw."

Richard then recounted every event that happened after their meeting at Suedou, about the 'Digital Shift', about Suedou's ramblings about the things he saw, their battle with an Eater, that almost ended Kuro on the spot, and how Matayoshi found them, as Suedou fled, and how Erika suddenly felt her illness appear. Ryuji listened to all of this with a stone-like face, as each statement and event left him more and more filled with sorrow and self-hatred.

"...Please wait in the lobby..." Ryuji asked them quietly, as Richard and Keisuke didn't waste a second to do so, as they left Ryuji and the sleeping Erika alone, as they heard Ryuji mutter to them. "Sorry for the trouble I caused...", before they shut the door behind them.

They then walked down the hallways, as they took a seat together.

"Man, that was a real shit-fest. First, we find out although our Digimon won't get absorbed by the Eaters so easily, we can't do jack, and they only need some seconds to drain a Digimon like Kuro to near-death..." Richard complaind. "And then Erika's illness flared up again."

"Again?" Keisuke asked. "What do you mean?"

"Keisuke... Remember when you sent me up to get her?" Richard said. "I never got to tell you that she was unconscious in the room, and that Wormmon was desperately calling for help. I managed to wake her up, and she told me to not tell about that event. So I didn't. And now, it's the second time, much worse..."

Keisuke remained silent, as Richard turned to him.

"Keisuke. Next time we go to a Digital Shift... Do not bring Erika with us at all. And when we see an Eater? Run like hell. Distract them if we're surrounded, to escape, but never, NEVER goddamn fight them. We're just not in the right moment or type to challenge them." Richard said. "You saw what it did to Kuro... And that was just the generic type... Imagine if the big ones got hold of him or us. It will be one bad moment to another."

Keisuke nodded, as they saw Ryuji approach them.

"We're heading back to the shop. Erika will be staying for two or three days. She'll be back to work for us when she recovers." Ryuji said.

Richard and Keisuke nodded, as they bowed, before they left the hospital, with ill omens running through their heads.


	10. Chapter 9: Raremon and Sangloupmon

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 9: Raremon and Sanae

* * *

 _In the internet cafe, Hudie...  
_

Keisuke went back onto his internet booth, as only Reimu and Antonio were with him, as Richard and Gus occupied the booth that was opposite to it.

"Hey, Keisuke." Richard said, as he pulled out his new EDEN visor, and did some start-up configurations, as he created his own EDEN account with little ease, as it was nothing different to setting up a user account from any website, except for some extra categories and questions to fill up. "You can hear me through this, right?"

"Yeah, I can." Keisuke replied back, as he plugged the Hudie USB in, as he entered the Hudie hacker site, to check on the Bulletin Board for some new requests. "If you have me registered on your friend's list, we'll be able to communicate to each other privately in EDEN. There's nothing much to worry about."

"So I see..." Richard said, as he also plugged in another Hudie USB into the desktop's system unit, as he accessed the same Hudie hacker site, with the same credentials and rights as Keisuke himself. "Whoa... Not bad. That means that we can split up the team into two groups. I'll lead one, you lead the other. It'll be good for taking care of multiple requests at the same time."

"Yeah, but are you sure you're fine with having your friends being with me without you?" Keisuke asked. "They seem to be quite attached to you."

"Nah, even without us, they can handle themselves." Richard smirked. "Remember how Reimu and Antonio busted Airdramon out of his cage? That's proof there.

"Fair enough." Keisuke said, as he pulled out a request. "I've got a request sent by a Kamishiro sub-contractor on the Bulletin Board. They were talking about illegal trash dumps in EDEN, which are fouling up the nearby atmosphere in the servers. The task is to find the source of the trash stuff and get rid of it before it causes bigger problems."

"Hah. It looks like you're picking a easier job." Richard replied back. "Alright, while you do that, I found a request from some girl, that revolves around a occult rumour about a elevator that makes girls disappear in it. She thinks her sister is responsible for it. Gus and I will go alone, since we have the more powerful Digimon, considering we have one Ultimate and one Champion."

"But wasn't Kuro trashed by the Eater before?" Keisuke asked back. "Are you sure it's a good idea to field him? I can lend you one of the Digimon that I have been raising in the DigiLab as a fair replacement, if you like."

"Nah, he's clean as a whistle after I fed him some HP Capsules, and some ailment Recovery Discs." Richard answered back, as he continued to read the request. "It seems that we'll have to go and try the myth out for ourselves. Chances it might be a Digital Shift, so I'll try to find some way to holler. Maybe the private communication channel between Digivices? It does have a function for that, which Mirei pointed out for me so kindly."

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea." Keisuke said, as he slipped his EDEN visor on. "See you there."

Reimu and Antonio disappeared, as Keisuke became silent, as Richard took a look at the request he was assigned with.

"Huh. This request requires a face-to-face meeting with the client, in the K-Cafe." Richard said, as he then logged out of the website, as he prepared to leave. "Say, should we get some Hudie coats, Gus? It's going to be hard to recognise a Hudie Hacker correctly without their trademark jacket."

"...I would say yes, but I'm not sure how to get one here..." Gus answered back.

"Fair enough." Richard said, as he left the internet cafe.

* * *

 _In the EDEN Community area..._

When Keisuke, Reimu and Antonio teleported into the public area, they looked around, as they took a few sniffs of the air, as they smelt nothing majorly smelly or strange.

"There's no stench now, but maybe someone has smelled it somewhere. I'll ask around." Keisuke said. "Sorry. Reimu and Antonio, would you mind...?"

"No problem. Pals gotta help pals!" Antonio smiled, as he gave him a flashy grin and a thumbs up.

As Keisuke went around, while the duo asked around for any strange smells, only to find that most of the people here didn't even know about the problem, until they found someone who knew, which was a businessman looking at the bulletin board in front of him.

"A garbage smell in EDEN? Oh, it might have been just my imagination, but now that you mention it, I smelt something before." The businessman told them. "But it was only for a moment, and I can't remember exactly where it was."

They thanked the businessman, as they found a boy who was sick of the lingering stench, as he didn't even say anything, as he just sent them the URL to the suspicious space without a moment of hesitation.

As they returned to Keisuke, who was inspecting the residues of garbage data that he found around the area, which surprisingly had no strange smell.

"We managed to get a URL from someone, which could lead us to the source of that stench." Reimu told Keisuke. "Although I might loathe going in there if it's as bad as the clients say it is, but I can handle it, if it's for some more money."

"Money?" Keisuke asked.

"Don't mind her, she's a money-grabber. But she won't overstep her boundaries in asking for all of it. Just remember to give her a decent and respectful share of it, and she'll be happy to help you." Antonio told him, as they stepped on the server transfer pad.

* * *

 _In the K-Cafe..._

Richard and Gus walked into the cafe, as they saw that there was the owner, a black-haired man with glasses and a black apron over a grey suit, who was cleaning up his shop after serving some people, as he was accompanied by a cat-maid with blonde long hair and the typical black-and-white dress, as Richard's eyes were a little surprised, at the sight of the latter for a moment, before he calmed himself down quickly, before anyone could spot the facial change of expression.

"Ah. You must be the hackers who have accepted our request, right?" The owner asked, as he walked over with his worker. "Sorry to make you come all the way here."

"No problem, sir. Kage and Phoenix of Hudie at your service." Richard did a curt bow.

"Welcome!" The blonde cat-maid smiled back. "Did you ask them to help with Rico's problem?"

"Yeah, I'm sure they're the men for the job." The owner replied to his co-worker, as he let a young girl dressed in a black and white polka dot dress and black hair tied in a short ponytail on the back of her head. "This young lady is Rico, the client."

"Erm... It's my big sister... She's gone missing." She said in a timid tone, as she often averted her eyes from the male hacker duo.

"Hah... We get that much, Rico. That's why we're here." Richard smiled. "It's our duty to solve your case, no matter what. We think we heard of that rumour before, so I think we got a fair enough grasp of what we might possibly face."

"Yeah, I'm worried about the owner." The cat-maid answered back. "Just be careful when using elevators."

"You're worried about me? How kind." The cafe owner smiled.

"If you have to go missing, please make sure you pay me this month's wages first." The cat-maid added.

"Oh, so it's not me you're worried about." The shop owner said, before he chuckled a little.

"Umm..." Rico tried to say.

"Um, let's not get off topic." Gus said.

"Right. That urban legend has been doing the rounds in Nakano for ages. Every school-kid knows it." The owner replied back. "But it might be more than just an urban legend."

"It seems that Rico's sister went missing right in this building." The cat-maid said, with genuine worry in her voice. "And it was after getting in an elevator."

"I would question why you would be asking for a hacker, rather than the police for it." Richard said, with a finger on his chin. "Is it because the police refuse to take the case, because considering that Rico's sister is within youth years, so it would be hand-waved as a unannounced meeting of friends."

"But that's wrong! She got in an elevator, and then vanished! She must still be in this building somewhere." Rico shouted, as she was unhappy about the fact. "Even our parents weren't worried about here, they said she will be back sooner or later."

"Fair enough. But we don't have anything to go on with. Rico, could you please remember what happened before your sister went missing?" Gus asked.

"Well, we came here together." Rico recounted the events for the two friends. "After playing the capsule machine on the first floor, my sister said let's go to the arcade in the fourth floor, so we got into the elevator. We arrived at the floor, but something wasn't right. All the lights were off, it was pitch-dark. There was no one else there! It was scary, but we had a look around. This was the only place with any lights on. And then we heard a dog barking inside. When we got close to the door, a big black dog came out. I was scared, but my sister petted it. Then she went inside. I was about to follow her in when the door closed. I pushed it as hard as I could, but it wouldn't open. I called out to her, but neither she or the dog answered back. I was scared, so I went back into the elevator, to go to another floor, and find a grown-up to help me. When I got in, the door closed by itself, and the lights in the elevator went out. I didn't know what to do, until the lights came back on, and the door opened. It was the same floor, but the lights in the corridor were on, and there were people everywhere. I ran to the cafe, because I thought my sister would come back, but she didn't. And that's all that happened that time..."

"...Well, I think I might have a idea as to how to solve this." Richard said, as he examined the girl's account of the events. "But we'll need to work alone. Keep the girl safe like you did, alright? We'll be back if we manage to come back alive and unharmed."

"I see. I can do that. But I must at least tell you something." The owner said. "There is the possibility that it might be a simple elevator malfunction. I hired you guys because that is the most realistic explanation, and someone had to investigate the elevator control system the building uses."

"I see. We'll try doing the same thing as Rico did, and see if there is a similar result." Gus said, before he muttered something under his breath. "Could it be... a Digital Shift?"

"What did you say?" The cat-maid asked, barely hearing Gus's muttering.

"It's nothing. We'll be off. Take care of yourselves. And try to keep Rico happy and entertained. She needs someone who got enough love to take care of her." Gus said, as he and Richard walked out the cafe with a wave of his hand.

"Bye-bye!" The cat-maid said, as she was smiling and waving back.

Richard then went up to the elevator, as he then called it up, as he and Gus entered.

"Alright, Richard. All we have to do is press the fourth floor button, and see what happens." Gus said, as he turned to Richard. "Right?"

"No, that's not it." Richard said, before he then sighed. "Luckily, gaming foresight saves the day. If I remember what the quest entails... The lucky code is..."

Richard then pressed the second and third floor buttons, before he then cancelled them by pushing them three times rapidly, as Richard did the second floor button first, before moving up to the third floor button, before he then pressed the fourth floor button, as the doors automatically closed.

"There. It's a work-up code of pressing and cancelling up the floors, from 2nd to 4th." Richard said, as he smirked and dusted his hands off. "Now, we play the waiting game..."

Suddenly, the lights in the elevator began to flicker, as Richard merely nodded, while the lights slowly dimmed out.

"Yep, prepare yourself, Gus. Expect danger when we arrive there." Richard said, as the elevator rumbled and heaved.

* * *

 _In the Odorous Zone..._

The moment that the trio of Keisuke, Reimu and Antonio ended up in the poisonous purple cyberspace, they immediately got a whiff of the place, as they smelt strong garbage in the area, as Reimu covered her nose with her hands to stop the smell from going in, while Antonio crinkled his nose in disgust.

"Phew-ee... That's one hell of a smell there!" Antonio said. "You think this is the place, Keisuke?"

"Yeah, as much as it's worrying, we need to take a look inside." Keisuke said.

Reimu and Antonio summoned Ran and Bolt, as both of the Rookie Digimon became immediately struck by the odorous effects of the environment.

"My gods, what is this putrid stench!?" Ran spoke in outrage. "Has this place been cursed by demonic magic to have such... unappealing smells!?"

"Whoo! This place really needs some clean-up!" Bolt complained. "I wonder what we should do about that."

They then made their through, as Kabuterimon joined them in the battles with the native Digimon, as the new Digimons weredoing quite well at their Rookie stage, as they were fighting evenly with their enemies with their own special moves and various skills they gained from the growth and experience they gained.

Eventually, they bumped into a BlackGarurumon, a giant wolf-like beast with black fur, white tiger stripes, magenta claws, and a very curly tail, as the wolf Digimon was patrolling the area, as he seemed to be using Freeze Fang, which was a blast of ice energy that eradicated the garbage data scattered across the area.

"Phew! It stinks! It doesn't matter how much I clean up, it just won't go away!" The BlackGarurumon complained, before he noticed the group in front of him. "Oh, what are humans doing here, and a... porcupine? Did the Kamishiro subcontractor send you?"

"Porcupine!?" Antonio replied back. "Hey, don't be rude! I like being like this!"

"Yes, we are." Keisuke answered back. "Are you also trying to fix the problem here?"

"Trying!? I'm the one complaining about it all!" The BlackGarurumon answered back, before he noticed Bolt. "And I'm surprised that you've picked a Gabumon as your partner for one of you. I remember when I was a BlackGabumon..."

"Really? That's how much we relate?" Bolt asked, before he sighed. "Well, I guess we're cousins I guess. Mind if I give my possible distant relative a hug?"

Bolt stretched his arms out, as BlackGarurumon looked at him, before letting a quiet 'hmph.'.

"Go ahead. It's not like you're going to do something bad." BlackGarurumon stated, before he was suddenly tackled by the torso by Bolt "Hey! That wasn't a proper hug!"

"Yes, it is. It's my special brand of hugging." Bolt rebuked back with a smile.

"What does that even mean? Hah... I guess I'll never understand you domesticated types..." BlackGarurumon said.

They continued down the server, as BlackGarurumon didn't idly stand by while they fought, as he helped greatly in weakening the enemies for a easy win, as Renamon often used Diamond Storm, which was a rain of reflective diamonds that pierced into all the enemies in front of her, as she often posed for each defeat she gained from doing so, saying that she has 'dealt with the impeders in the holy path.', as Reimu was surprised at Ran's show-boating in doing so.

Eventually, near the centre of the area, they found a massive grey blobby Digimon with gooey arms that have clawed hands, metal plates embedded around its eyes, and a large toothed maw with sharp fangs.

"It's a Raremon! So that's what's causing the smell!" The BlackGarurumon said, as he walked closely to the Raremon. "Hey! Quit spreading that stench! Spare a thought for everyone else!"

The Raremon only moaned, as it turned around to face those before it with a mindless look.

"It doesn't look like it's listening at all." Antonio sighed.

"Then we'll force it out! One way or the other!" Reimu exclaimed, as the Digimon moved forward to engage the Digimon.

"Gaia Element!" Ran declared, as she caused a large burst of green natural energy slam into the loosely-formed Digimon, as it swayed back from the impact, before it then moved forward to try and claw Ran with its hands, only for the nimble Fox Digimon to move out of the way.

"Eat this! Blue Blaster!" Bolt cried, as he let out a breath of blue flame that burnt the arm that Raremon tried to attack Ran with, as it let out a wail of pain, as BlackGarurumon immediately fired off a Freeze Fang to freeze the other arm to the ground.

"This is the end for you! Electro Shocker!" Keisuke cried, as Kabuterimon immediately fired off its special attack, as it collided with Raremon, as it destroyed most of its mass, as it shrunken down the Raremon considerably, until it's just as big as Bolt himself.

"Huh... That's strange." Bolt said. "I didn't know we could actually beat the data out of this thing. But doing it made it much more smaller, and... the smell's actually ten time better than before!"

"That's a good sign..." The BlackGarurumon replied back, as he looked at the Raremon, which was unintelligibly wobbling around with no purpose, as he sniffed around again. "Yeah, the smell's gone, and Raremon is still alive and well. Not like I wanted to get rid of it, unless it's really necessary. Thing must have gorged itself on too much junk data, which created the colossal titan of it before. Must be just destroying the smell data made it better for him, which the battle was targeting in the first place. You're quite the experienced hackers, hm?"

"Yeah, we've been working for quite a while." Keisuke answered back.

"Hm. Well, I doubt it would be stupid enough to cause such troubles. But just be sure, I'll get it shipped off to somewhere else, where it won't be a bother." The BlackGarurumon said, before turning to Bolt. "Oh, and Bolt? Is that your name?"

"Yep! Don't wear it out though!" Bolt cheerfully said.

The BlackGarurumon moved down, as he gave a gentle lick of Bolt's face. "You did quite well. I'm actually proud and impressed at the same time to have you be my cousin of some sort. If we meet again, I hope we'll be able to talk about whatever stuff you get into with these hacker friends of yours."

"Then it's a promise! I will!" Bolt exclaimed, before Antonio summoned into his Digivice. "See ya!"

"Alright, we're leaving. You'll have the payment sent, right?" Reimu answered back.

"Psh, it's very simple. I can do it, so don't worry about it." The BlackGarurumon said.

The trio then left without another word, as they soon turned their request in the Hudie website.

* * *

 _In the Nakano mall, the fourth floor..._

The elevator opened to reveal the floor to them, as the lights were on in the corridor, as it was the only difference to Rico's account of the strange floor.

"Now, we go to the arcade, and see if there is anyone there." Richard said, as he grasped the handle of the door to the arcade, before moving inside with one swift motion, as Gus opened the door to come in after.

They looked inside the arcade, as not a single one of the arcade cabinets was on, creating a eerie silent atmosphere of the place.

"Huh. Well, Rico's right about the floor having no-one. It's like a ghost town here..." Richard sighed. "Nothing here, let's head out."

"Right." Gus answered back.

They headed out, before they heard a growling noise, originating from the K-Cafe door.

"I guess that's where we are going?" Gus said, as he eyed the door where the noise was coming through.

"Obviously." Richard said. "We did come here to solve some matters, right?"

As soon as they opened the door, they were sucked in through it, as the doors closed themselves instantly.

* * *

 _In the Digital Space..._

The duo landed on their bottoms, as they suddenly were thrown onto the starting platform in the server maze, as Gus let out a grunt, as Richard let out a loud 'Ouch!', as he got up, clutching his sore bottom.

"Damn jackasses, whoever invented his entrance method is asking for pain..." Richard hissed, as he helped Gus up, as they looked around the blue background with digital data flowing among the space like comets and stars, before he summoned his Digimon, Kuro, to his side, while Gus did the same with Sun. "You know the drill. Purge any Digimon that doesn't start with a greeting or a gesture of non-hostility. It worked so far."

"Got that." Kuro answered back, as he walked just behind the group, ready to spring out if a battle was to break out.

Eventually, as they reached the end of the server maze, after a lot of battling and fighting with the local Digimon, they found a duo of girls which were knocked unconscious on the ground, as one of them looked like a older version of Rico, dressed in more mature uniform, and the other was Sanae, much to the boys' surprise. They were being jealously guarded by a purple wolf-like Digimon with red barbed marking on its tail and body, as it has a long grey mane on its neck, and it had purple bat wing-like covers jutting from the sides of its neck, and over its blood-red eyes, as well as having bladed claws, with pendulum-blades on its ankles.

"The... The FUCK!?" Richard said. "Of all the places, she got placed with that grumpy Sangloupmon!?"

The Sangloupmon immediately wrenched his head towards them, as he immediately jumped at them with a angered expression, surprising Gus and Richard again

"If you insist on disturbing my sleep again, I'll put you to sleep like those humans!" The Sangloupmon roared. "And I am NOT grumpy! You humans forced my inner turmoil to show itself!"

"Uh, I think we angered it a lot with those words, Richard. Perhaps you should have been a little quieter?" Gus told Richard.

"NO SHIT, SHERLOCK!" Richard yelled, as he dragged Gus back, as Kuro used his own arm to block Sangloupmon's ambush, as he flicked the wolf off. The Sangloupmon landed on his feet gently, and circled around the Digimon of the group with a hostile growl.

"We didn't come here to fight you. Beating you would be pointless, unless you want a more violent way to ensure you stay asleep enough to work that attitude out of you." Kuro told Sangloupmon. "Let us take the girls, so that we can leave quietly and peacefully, like you did."

"Absolutely not." Sangloupmon spoke darkly. "They were both screaming their heads off for so long, one out of fear of me, and one out of a feeling that I cannot interpret with another word than fanaticism."

"Then don't blame if I have to put you down!" Kuro said, as he then charged up a Wolkenapalm, as he dashed at Sangloupmon, and smashed him in the head with it, disorienting the wolf Digimon greatly, as he was wobbling on his feet.

Sun immediately blasted a Mega Flare at Sangloupmon, as it knocked the wolf onto his back, before he then got up, as he then jumped into the air, as he threw a rain of pendulum blades at Kuro and Sun, as they were forced to block it with their own methods, Kuro with his metallic arm, and Kuro using his arms and boney helm to negate most of the attacks, as some of them hit them, as they exploded, staggering the Digimon slightly, as they let out red streams of energy that healed Sangloupmon a little when they connected with him. He then let out a howl, as a blast of dark purple energy knocked them away from each other.

"Alright, that does it!" Richard said. "Kuro! Use Revenge Flare. See if the bastard tries hitting you then!"

Kuro nodded, as he entered a counter-stance, as fiery blue aura appeared around his body, as the Sangloupmon tried to tackle him, believing the black Digimon was charging up a decisive attack.

However, the attack was merely redirected away from Kuro with a sweep of his arm, before the aura gathered in his mouth, as he blasted Sangloupmon across the platform with a beam of fiery energy, as the wolf Digimon was knocked unconscious by the sheer force of the attack.

"Whoa, that was actually surprising. I thought he would be defeated normally like it would be in normal battling against someone as strong as him." Richard commented on the battle he just saw. "Well, it saves us the trouble of explaining. We'll get Ryuji or Chitose to deal with this crap, if it rises again. Not like anyone will be able to figure out the secret code of the elevator, eh?"

He then hoisted Sanae, as Gus hoisted the unconscious girl. "Let's scram before he decides to finish his short nap." Richard warned, as they immediately made for the server exit...

* * *

 _In the K-Cafe..._

After having returned back to the real world, after detecting the problem in the elevator control system, they fixed the system with some patches, to ensure no-one will enter Sangloupmon's domain again. With the K-Cafe owner and the cat maid, which they learned was named 'Sacchan', arguing back and forth about related topics, they bid their farewells, after answering any questions the two had to offer, as well as questions from Rico, who asked about what happened to Sangloupmon, as Richard told her that he was taken care of, and he won't be making any more messes like this.

They then went to Sanae, as she was beginning to wake up.

"Huh... Richard? Gus? I had a strange dream where I met a Sangloupmon, and I literally went all-out fangirling on seeing him." Sanae groggily replied back, as she was still recovering her senses from being conked out. "It was a shame that the dream wasn't real..."

"Nah..." Richard said, as he flashed her his Digivice. "It's real alright. We saved you when you were being menaced by that wolf. He wasn't so willing to talk, so we gave him a real nap to have, and then pulled you out of whatever cyberspace you ended up in. It's strange how long you have been unconscious for though. Cyberspace hijinks, I guess?"

Sanae blinked her eyes a few time to get a good look, before her eyes widened, as she snatched the Digivice out of Richard's hands, as she looked at it with pure joy.

"This... THIS IS UTTERLY BRILLIANT! WE'RE IN THE WORLD OF DIGIMON, RICHARD AND GUS! MY FAVOURITE ANIME SERIES OF ALL TIMES!" Sanae screamed with utter excitement. "I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE IF I CAN GET SOME AUTOGRAPHS FROM-"

"Woah, slow down, Sanae." Richard said, as he took back his Digivice. "As you can tell, this ain't the anime Digimon world. It's more of the fact we're in the Hacker's Memory/Cyber Sleuth timeline. So no, you're not going to get to meet Takuya, Davis, Tai and other famous characters here."

"I... Oh." Sanae said, as she deflated a little, before she then smiled a little. "Well, at least there will be the cute ones, right?"

"...Yes." Richard strained his reply, as he was trying his best not to think too much about them, as they gave him a... complex feeling to deal with.

Sanae merely nodded, as she followed Gus and Richard back to the Hudie cafe.


	11. Chapter 10: ZAXON and Arata

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 10: ZAXON and Arata

* * *

 _In the internet cafe, Hudie..._

When Richard walked into the cafe with Gus and Sanae, he noticed that Reimu and Antonio were waiting outside Keisuke's booth, as he seemed to have logged into EDEN without them.

"Hey. How are you two doing?" Richard asked, as he raised his hand in greeting his friends. "What did you encounter while you were there?"

"It wasn't a pleasant experience... And you managed to find Sanae!?" Antonio said, as he looked up and noticed Sanae with wide eyes. "Was she helping one of the Digimon involved in the case?"

"More like she was the damsel in distress." Gus answered back, as Sanae chopped the back of his neck with her hand firmly, knocking the brown-haired boy's head a little. "Ow! The Digimon said that you were screaming like crazy like a fangirl! It was your own fault that you were knocked out with her sister."

"Girls don't like it when they're called that, Gus, you idiot!" Sanae exclaimed back, before she then waved at Reimu. "Heya again, Reimu! How did it go for you?"

"Fine, I guess. I managed to get a fair cut of the reward from Keisuke." Reimu replied back.

"Keisuke!? You mean Keisuke Amazama!?" Sanae asked, before he saw the still Keisuke, as she clasped her face with both her hands in pure shock. "Oh my gods, it's really him! He looks so much cooler than when I saw in the game!"

"Alright, meta talk aside... What's Keisuke doing, alone in EDEN?" Richard asked the two members, as they looked at each other.

"After we dealt with the giga Raremon which was causing the awful smell, with the help of a BlackGarurumon who had the displeasure of being in the same area as it was, and we managed to knock it down to size literally." Antonio answered back. "Afterwards, Keisuke received a call from someone with a private number, who talked with Keisuke about some things, as he seemed not to trust the guy much. When the call ended, Keisuke told us to log out into the real world, while he goes and meets with someone. And that's all we've been doing. We're waiting for the guy to come back."

Keisuke then took off his EDEN visor, as he let out a loud sigh, as he turned around.

"Hey, Richard. Where have you been? How did the case go?" Keisuke asked.

"It went quite fine. We dealt with the grouchy Digimon who didn't like its nap being disturbed by a unaware intruder who turned out to be the client's sister." Richard summarised his experience. "Kuro and Sun pounded him down to the ground, and we got out with the target, plus one of our friends, who was also unfortunate enough to be in the same situation. Keisuke, meet Sanae Kochi. Sanae, meet Keisuke Amazama, also known as Spectre of Hudie."

Sanae immediately grabbed Keisuke's hand, as she shook it so vigorously, that Keisuke was being shaken from the sheer force inside his body.

"Hi Hi Hi! Nice to meet you! I'm so glad that I get to see someone like you! Let's be friends, okay? Please?" Sanae said quickly.

"Uuunnnhh... Alright. I will. Just... stop shaking me so hard..." Keisuke answered back with a dizzied and shaky voice.

Sanae immediately stopped, as she let Keisuke go, and smiled brightly.

"So I ask you, Keisuke. What was the meeting about? I got how the garbage case went from Reimu and Antonio, but what about you?" Richard asked.

"It's just that.. a certain benefactor decided to give me a way into the Demon's Den, as there might be some more clues about the culprit of my own case." Keisuke answered back. "Had to pull out some Rookie Digimon that I created and formed from the scanned and collected data we have been hoarding through the near-inifinte amount of battles we had, because EDEN security Digimon found me, and tried to kick me out. Either way, we're going to have to go tell Ryuji and Chitose something they'll need to hear."

"What?" Gus asked.

"Well, I took the ticket in, through the URL, where I met Jimmy KEN, who is trying to form the Demons, a hacker group seceding from ZAXON led by him." Keisuke continued. "I tried to play along as best I could, and it surprisingly got me through. Jimmy KEN then offered me to do a job for him: Spy on ZAXON for him. He even handed me a Demon-brand digivice for it, so it's going to be good evidence to prove his attempt to sabotage ZAXON."

"Well, damn... Looks like that guy has it in for ZAXON then?" Antonio asked. "I guess we'll need to find them right?"

Richard then noticed that Ryuji and Chitose were walking into the cafe. "Well, speak of the devils in name, and they come." Richard said. "Keisuke, they're here."

"Ah, thanks." Keisuke said, as he walked in front of them. "Ryuji and Chitose, I would like to tell you guys something."

He then went on to explain how he got the information about those possible suspects that are responsible to his case, as the tips were from a mysterious hacker named 'K', who constantly feed him intel on the suspects and their possible motives in doing so.

"So that was it. And then you took his one-sided invitation, went to the Demons hideout, was mistaken for a buddy, and now you have to spy on ZAXON." Chitose said with a calm tone, different from the smile he was showing. "Yes, I see..."

He then grabbed Keisuke by the shoulders, as he shook him by the shoulders violently.

"AS IF!" Chitose roared. "What are you trying to do, get yourself stuck into a obvious trap that could be end of your hacker life!? Don't walk into those kinds of places alone! At least have your buddy Richard or Gus try to help you! He's just trying to catach you vulnerable by asking you come alone!"

"I agree with Chitose, Keisuke." Richard said, as he walked to Keisuke, as he slapped his head lightly. "You know that we are buddies, right, Keisuke? If you went missing, I'll hound the asses of whoever are responsible until the end of time, even if I have to give up many things for it. So don't go doing that again, okay?"

"No more hiding such things from others." Ryuji ordered Keisuke. "You can tell us anything from here on out."

Ryuji then gave a small smile at the latter statement, as Keisuke felt that Ryuji was willing to trust Keisuke for whatever he has, as Keisuke smiled and nodded back. "I promise. I won't hide anything from you, and make sure that you know the things that I doubt." He replied.

"Attaboy, Keisuke." Richard said, before he then turned to Ryuji and Chitose. "Ryuji and Chitose... I have a idea."

"What is it?" Chitose asked back.

"We make sure that the leaders of ZAXON are aware of what is going on, as we will tell them that we'll have Keisuke act as a double-agent on our side. He'll feed misinformation to the Demons, about ZAXON. If there's something they can use to catch that hacker team, we can fabricate information as a lure for them."

"It seems a sound idea. We will need to tell Yuugo and Fei about this." Ryuji said. "Richard, Keisuke. Come with me to the ZAXON forum."

"Wait, why not the others?" Richard asked. "Surely you don't plan on having them outside here all the while, right?"

"These people are not formidable enough to strike up a right to enter. Only you two are famed enough to be allowed entry." Ryuji answered back sternly. "Both of you are considered a independent power among the hacking community, and some extra fame was attributed from what you have done to the Steam Dealers, Richard, so I hope you are prepared to deal with the consequences before."

"Those guys?" Richard said, before he then sighed. "Yeah, if I get called a monster, it's not going to matter much to me. We're monsters in different meanings. By the way, I managed to get a EDEN visor with my share of the rewards from the previous cases. Thanks a bunch for allowing the share that made it possible. From now on, my friends can log-in alongside aside me or Keisuke. But for now..."

Richard said, as he sat down, and slipped the Hudie USB in, as he entered the Hudie hacker site for entry into EDEN, as he slid the digital visor on. "I'll go separate from Keisuke. You have the link sent to our Digivices, right? See you there."

Richard then became silent and still, as he entered EDEN quickly, while Ryuji and Keisuke immediately did the same.

* * *

 _In the ZAXON forum..._

Keisuke and Ryuji entered the forum, as he noticed that Richard was leaning against one of the pillars in the hacker meeting area, which was filled with digital structures of the strange kind, as was a cracked floor with blue digital data leaking from some holes in it.

"Hey, you got here quite quick. I just got settled in here." Richard said. "So, who's Yuugo and Fei?"

"You'll know when you see them. But for now, they are not here, probably patrolling around Kowloon." Ryuji said. "We must make sure that ZAXON does not interpret Hudie's intentions as hostile to the team, and so we must inform the high-ranked hackers here about the situation that you have created."

"So... This place was a waste of time to go to?" Richard asked, a little miffed at the fact that being first here did not give him a sense of achievement, as he scoffed loudly. "Well, that's a load of crap. Let me just do something."

He then pulled out his Digivice, as he pressed a few things, before placing it in front of him, as a screen with Gus's face appeared. "Yes?" Gus asked, his voice a little static-filled and garbled from the encryption the server had.

"I found a way to contact each other using only the Digivices. The phone's better and much more easier to make and take calls, but this is the only reliable way to contact everyone who has a Digivice in our team, in EDEN or the real world." Richard explained, as he turned to Gus. "Come to me. I'm logging out, and I'm bringing you, Reimu, Antonio in with me. Keisuke is coming with us to Kowloon, while Ryuji go and does whatever thing he usually do, to find those head honchos."

"Got that." Gus answered back, as he cut the connection between the Digivices.

"It's a fair reason, considering that I have not told you about where I am going, or what I'm going to do." Ryuji said. "Very well, we'll meet back at the ZAXON forum if possible."

He then left the forum through the server-transfer pad, as Richard and Keisuke left the server room as well.

* * *

 _In Kowloon's third level..._

After having taken down the yellow Level 2 unsecured fire-wall that was obstructing their path, the group of Richard, Keisuke, Reimu, Antonio and Gus, took the green platform elevator, that took them down to the next level in Kowloon's depths. They then proceeded to fight several hackers and wild Digimon, as Richard noticed that Kabuterimon seemed to be different to what he looked like before, as his arms were covered in red scaled armour, his head was a skull helmet with a large horn that forks at the tip. It's shell consists of fused elytra with a green crystal ball at the base, and was completely red. He also retained his small blue stinger on his pelvis.

"Say, you Digivolved Kabuterimon, right?" Richard asked.

"Yep, he's MegaKabuterimon." Keisuke said, as MegaKabuterimon gave them a silent nod. "He seemed to be more quiet than he was in his previous forms. I'm fine as long as he's not controlled or something, it would be terrible to deny him his free will unintentionally."

"Hey, Keisuke, worrying about this is only going to make things worse, dude!" Bolt replied, as he seemed to be quite calm about the situation. "We sure look like that we're in control of ourselves, so don't you worry!"

They then continued down, as they found another booth that was linked to the DigiLab.

"Well, if we've being fighting so hard and long, there must be some Digivolution to happen for you all. And Keisuke, you have data for a Yokomon, right?" Richard asked, as he checked the status of Kuro. "No sign of Kuro getting a Digivolution yet, but we're close. Come on, let's get some power for our partners."

* * *

 _In the Digilab..._

Richard merely whistled at how the Digimon had attained their new forms. Ran became a Kyubimon, Bolt became a Garurumon, which was a blue and white version of the BlackGarurumon that Keisuke, Reimu and Antonio had met, and Sun attained the form of MetalGreymon, which was a alternate colouring of Kuro's BlackMetalGreymon form currently.

"Hah! Now we're on the same footing, Kuro!" Sun bragged with a wide smile. "I'll eventually attain a stronger form before you when the time comes!"

"Dream on, Sun." Kuro chuckled. "You didn't hear my partner, Richard? I'm almost going to be a BlackWarGreymon. When that time comes, even those Eaters won't be a match for me!"

"So this is what my new form feels like?" Bolt said, as he tested his new body with impressed eyes. "Cooolll.."

"I have attained a new form of power." Ran spoke in a grateful tone, as she lowered her head before Reimu. "I am honoured to serve you in this form, my holy maiden, Reimu."

"You've done well, Ran." Reimu said, having gotten used to Ran's reverent attitude of her. "I'll be expecting more out of you."

"As you wish." Ran spoke back, as Reimu re-summoned her into the Digivice, as the others did the same.

"Hey, Mirei?" Richard asked, as the mentioned green-haired lady turned to him. "Is it possible to change forms that are on the same Level of Digimon Form, should I have attained the form for it?"

"I'm afraid you cannot, Richard." Mirei answered back. "If you wish for your fellow Digimon to take another path of evolution, you must DeDigivolve back to the root form, before you take the alternate path."

"That's a bother... It means that we'll have to feed them data every time to give them enough data to handle being DeDigivolved. It makes them weaker and takes up residual data we could use to Digivolve the others." Richard said. "But... To achieve the best forms for Sun and Bolt... I'll have to do it once, when I finally get a certain item."

"What items?" Reimu and Antonio asked simultaneously.

"You'll see." Richard said. "For now, we'll see if we can keep Bolt in his Garurumon for as long as possible, until the opportunity to attain the sacred items for the most strongest evolution can begin."

They soon left the DigiLab, as Keisuke made sure to keep the Digimon in the DigiFarms busy with training or investigation of their own.

* * *

 _Back in Kowloon's third level..._

As the group returned back into the neutral cyberspace, they eventually continued down the path, before they bumped into a male hacker with black hair that was styled in drapes, wearing a white hoodie with blue lines, and a long blue shirt under it. He had his hood up, so most of his hair was out of sight, except for the several drapes lying in front of his face.

"What the!?" Keisuke said, as he and the hacker knocked into each other, as they moved back slightly.

"Hey. Pay attention, why don't ya!?" The man spoke, as he turned to face Keisuke, who seemed to surprised by the face he saw, as Richard understood why.

' _Arata Sanada..._ ' Richard thought, before he then came over with a hand out. "Apologies for our friend. We mean you no harm or nuisance."

"Well, at least there are some hackers out there who are polite like you these days." The hooded Arata spoke, before he noticed the Hudie coats on Keisuke, Richard and Gus. "Hey... those clothes. Are you those hackers who joined up with Ryuji?"

"Yeah. You know him as well?" Keisuke asked.

"Then I guess that'll make us... acquaintances, I guess?" Arata said with a tilt of his head. "I only know their names. Those guys were famous, after all. They used to be in Jude."

"Jude? What is that? A old hacker team?" Gus asked curiously.

"C'mon, you're teammates with him and don't even know about Jude? I guess they don't talk about the past." Arata sighed. "Well, it seems like you want to know. Ah, what the heck, I'll tell you. I can only tell you what I know, in fact, I want to know what the former members have been lately."

"Why?" Keisuke asked.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just a little concern over the famous members of the legendary hacking team that was Jude." Arata denied his involvement with a head-shake. "Come with me. Let's walk and talk with your friends."

Keisuke nodded, as the group followed Arata across the empty area they ended up in.

"You all look like that you've just became hackers, considering you're green enough in appearance. But it's more about the Digimon programs. Does everyone in Hudie use those?" Arata asked the group.

"Not really. We have Erika Mishima, who is more of a back-line and support girl when it comes to hacking." Richard answered back.

"No kidding? And here I thought those guys liked to keep things old school. I guess things change." Arata frowned a little, hearing that. "Heck, they fell under ZAXON's beck and call before I even knew it..."

"Uh, sir...? What about Jude?" Antonio asked back.

"Ah, that's right. We're supposed to be discussing that." Arata nodded. "Jude was active several years ago, before Digital Monsters were even discovered for the first time. Hackers would use tools they made for themselves to do the hacking. And then there was Jude, the biggest hacker team of that time. At the very least, you've heard the name of their leader, Arata Sanada?"

"Sometimes..." Keisuke responded back.

"Ah, I see. Jude wasn't just the biggest hacker team, but the one with the most technical expertise." Arata continued. "And their second-in-command was your leader, Ryuji Mishima. And third-in-command is your fellow hacker Chitose Imai."

"Wait, what?" Reimu asked in shock, hearing that Ryuji and Chitose used to be famous old-fashioned hackers.

"That Arata Sanada guy had the skill, but... Well, let's just say he was reckless." Arata said, as he crossed his arms. "Ryuji was his deputy of some sort, and always followed him around. Kind of like a... big brother. Chitose's always been good with people, and kept the friction down on such a big team. Like grease for a bunch of squeaky wheels. He looks chill, and has a good eye for people. With him around, most arguments would work themselves out. Several other hackers on the team could assemble unique malware. In other words, Jude had it all: productivity, mobility, you name it. So they say... It was not the size that Jude had as a hacker team that made it a legend, but also the conviction that they all shared: Not a single one of them used their hacking skills for evil, despite the rule being not hard-and-fast. Their actions were only done to raise their skill, or just sate their curiosity. The Under Zero business, too... I'd say they only broke in because they were that kind of people."

"Then what caused its downfall? Betrayal?" Antonio asked. "And what's Under Zero?"

"That's where I'm getting at. Under Zero is a core server that's existed since the start of EDEN. It contains all the log data inscribed into EDEN up to now." Arata responded back, continuing again. "In other words, it's actually EDEN's greatest security fortress. Taking it would mean Jude is the strongest team in both deed and name. At least it would have... If that guy didn't show up..."

Arata clenched his fist at the mention of 'that guy', as the group remained silent.

"Anyway, Jude failed in conquering Under Zero, and then disbanded just like that. For a single failure." Arata concluded his tale of the hacker team Jude. "All right, now that I have told you everything I now, tell me what Ryuji and Chitose have been up to-"

Arata was interrupted, as a Eater portal appeared above them, spitting out one of the data-made abominations that inched towards them.

"Another one!? FUCK!" Richard swore. "With two Ultimates, it should be easier to kick that Eater's ass. But we'll need to find a way to weaken its defences first..."

"It seems that you have met them many times like me." Arata said, as he whipped out his Digivice. "Let's beat them. These guys will cause a real mess if we leave them alone. You must be pretty good if you're all part of Hudie, right?"

"Of course." Keisuke answered back. "This time, we won't lose like last time."

"Glad to hear that. I'm counting on you, kid!" Arata replied, before he summoned his Digimon, which was Chrysalimon, a floating purple spiked cocoon with black eyes with yellow ringed irises, as well as a long horn between them, and a collar of spikes under its head. It also sported a ivory-white stinger on its bottom, as well as multiple arms with string-like connections to sharp triangular blades. "I'll weaken its defences. Chrysalimon, Guard Break."

Chrysalimon merely slashed the air with two of its tentacles in a X-motion, as it teared apart the barrier that was protecting the Eater, making it vulnerable to the attacks of the Digimon.

"It's payback time, you bastard! Try to suck me dry before, didn't you?" Kuro said in a heated tone, as he charged a Wolkenapalm and smashed it into the Eater right in its eye. "How do you like them apples, squid!?"

"Let me help!" Sun said, as he stuck his chest out, as the hatches opened to fire off two mini-warheads with a angry expression on them. "Giga Blaster!"

The missiles hit the Eater, as it seemed to be injured by the attack.

" **D-D-Data i-is co-converging...** " The Eater spoke in its glitched out digital voice, due to the damage dealt to it.

"You will not lay a finger on my allies! Fox Tail Inferno!" Ran shouted, as she flicked her tails towards the Eater, as they threw blue balls of flames that exploded with great might.

"Howling Blaster: Bolt Style! Hope you like to be roasted for dinner!" Bolt roared, as he let blue flames billow through his mouth, as they sprayed onto the Eater, melting its skin.

" **D-DdDd-dAaTa cCcCONVErRrggGgEnNnCreEE CcCOMpLEEtTTe...** " The Eater spoke in its garbled voice.

"Oh no you don't! You won't harm another Digimon! MegaKabuterimon! Horn Buster!" Keisuke ordered, as the red beetle Digimon throttled forward, as his horn glowed white, as he stabbed it right through the eye of the Eater, as it leaked a black ichor-like substances from the wound.

" **BBbBboOo000ddDdDdYyYyY CcCoOMmMpPpRRrRo00MmMIi11!sSeEW#I() !*#)(#! )(# &()# ())70!**" The Eater spewed a stream of near-unintelligible digital gibberish, before it fell down, completely destroyed, as it faded away in black and white pixels.

"Did... Did we do it?" Keisuke asked.

"Yep, we beat that Eater hard, Keisuke." Richard said. "It's a start of our revolution against those ungodly beings."

Arata sighed in relief after the Eater was confirmed destroyed. "We made it somehow. Those things freak me out whenever I see ." Arata said in a slightly tense tone. "I've been attacked by them before. You'd better stay alert. According to a Kamishiro researcher named Suedou, those things have something to do with the phenomenon occuring in the real world."

"That damn bat!?" Richard hissed. "He's still lurking around? Well, he isn't wrong about that one thing, as much as I find him despicable..."

They then noticed that there was another Eater coming at them, as it was sneaking up behind Arata, before it then jumped.

"Look out, behind you!" Antonio called out, as Arata turned around, and tried to move.

However, there was a claw-swipe from above that tore the Eater in two, destroying it, as Coredramon and Ryuji revealed themselves to the group.

"You're as sloppy as ever, aren't you." Ryuji said with animosity in his voice.

"Ryuji!" Arata said in a relieved voice. "Sorry, you saved my bacon there."

"Don't get it twisted. I didn't come to save you." Ryuji spat, as his tone didn't change towards Arata, as he turned to the group. "And what are you all twiddling your thumbs for? Have you found Yuugo and Fei yet?"

"No, but-" Richard was about to say, before he noticed a pair of Eaters approaching them. "More of them! Ryuji, we need to get out here, now-"

Sun and Kuro moved in front, as they prepared their respective attacks, as the Eaters jumped at them, before a pair of golden lasers hit them mid-air, as a humanoid Digimon clad in armour coloured like a bumble-bee appeared and a red tattered scarf around its neck appeared, as it had its twin cyan energy blades out, as it slashed down from a great height, cutting the Eaters in two and destroying them.

As the bee-coloured Digimon returned to the side of its owner, it was revealed that the newcomer group consisted of four members, was a Machinedramon, which seemed a copy of Metalgreymon created from amalgamated robotic parts, with twin back cannons, a metallic black robotic dragon head, metallic clawed hands and feet like Kuro and Sun, and red and blue wiring all over its body. The second, who was the owner of the Machinedramon was a young silver-haired boy who seemed to look different yet similar to Yu with his silver hair, and he wore a white jacket with a furry collar, and snow-grey jeans. The owner of the TigerVespamon, which was the Digimon that finished off the pair of eaters, was a lady with a exposed blue and white jacket of Zaxon, showing her exposed belly,as her chest was covered by a partial black vest. She had a strange hairstyle with her brown hair, as her hair was styled like large buns on either side of her head.

"That was pretty-dangerous there." The silver-haired boy spoke in a casual tone. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No... Thank you very much for saving us." Gus answered back. "What is your name? I want to show my gratitude to you."

"I wondered who it might be, and look who it is." The brown-haired hacker girl scoffed. "Hey, Ryuji, you've been meeting that Arata Sanada quite a bit lately, huh?"

"Wait, then that means...!?" Antonio said, turning to Arata who was silent.

"Ah, c'mon. Don't give it away, Fei." Arata answered back, before he then flipped his hoodie off, revealing all of his face and hair, then turning to the Hudie group. "Ah, the jig's up anyway. I'm Arata Sanada. Nice to meet you all."

"It's... It's a pleasure to meet you, Sanada-san!" Keisuke bowed gently in courtesy, speaking in a polite and respectful tone.

"So, you're the new hackers of the Hudie hacker team." The silver-haired boy said, as he came closer to Richard and Keisuke, as he stared into each of their eyes, analysing the looks they gave. "I see. You've both got good eyes. But I can tell that one of you have experienced more than they can handle."

Richard merely grimaced there, as he spoke. "So, you're Yuugo, huh? None less expected from someone, having taken those Eaters down like nothing."

"Yes." Yuugo simply answered back, as he turned to Ryuji with a light frown. "And I take it that this was not just an introduction of your new members, hm?"

"No, I have a report for you. Yuugo, Jimmy KEN has broken off from Zaxon, forming the Demons." Ryuji reported his findings from the group. "He also tried to hire Keisuke as a spy on ZAXON."

"I know of that. Fei and I were just looking into that issue. That account raiding Mephisto did... It looks like the Demons are involved somehow. It was a simple attempt to barter off accounts to raise funds to expand the team's influence in one fell swoop." Yuugo responded back. "I want you to leave that matter to us. If we show any weakness here, it'll set a bad example to the other hacker teams. We'll maintain EDEN's order with our own hands."

"You can't protect EDEN through force alone." Arata stated his counter-point, as Fei, Yuugo and Ryuji turned to him. "If someone wants to defect, we can't just let them go. Not just anyone can determine right and wrong."

"If we let this pass, who'll prevent the hackers from going wild?" Yuugo retorted back. "It's not like everyone can control themselves with conviction like you all once did. I believe in the necessity of defined rules, no matter what you are."

"All I'm saying is that hackers aren't the type of people to be tied down by anyone." Arata complained back, as he raised his voice. "To begin with, the way you guys do thing is-"

Ryuji immediately grabbed Arata by the collar and lifted him up easily, as he stared at Arata with cold and unfeeling eyes.

"Shut up, Sanada." Ryuji hissed coldly. "You ran away when we most needed you, so you don't get to judge or talk about EDEN's hackers."

Arata then was about to open his mouth to argue, before he then resigned trying to resist the fact, as he sighed. "Yeah, you're right... Do what you want."

Ryuji then dropped Arata, who walked away with a resentful expression.

"I'm sorry that we can't see eye-to-eye with this. There aren't many hackers of his calibre out there." Yuugo said. "As for Keisuke, I'll have him as a double-agent, pretending to spy on ZAXON. Instead, you will spy on the Demons, and inform us of their movements."

"Richard has already predicted this plan. He wanted to ask if you two have any false information to spread to help make the process quicker to achieve." Ryuji butted in with his words.

"Is that so?" Yuugo glanced at Richard, before he smiled. "I see... Either way, as a face among the crowd, only the most astute would single him out as a spy, and I doubt the Demons would have such people. You may come and go as you please in the forum, and the privilege extends to your friends as well. From now on, you're hackers of ZAXON, not just only Hudie."

"Right, and before I go, have you heard of a hacker named 'K'?" Keisuke asked.

"Nope, never heard of him. How about you, Fei?" Yuugo said, as he turned to his partner.

"Can't say it rings a bell." Fei shrugged. "Still, it's not like we know each and every hacker under us. Why do you care though?"

"He's the reason Keisuke got wrapped up in all of this business. It's possible that he may be a Demon hacker." Ryuji answered back.

"You got it. You're always doing the good work for us, after all." Yuugo said, before he gave Keisuke a sympathetic look. "You're the victim of a bad hacker yourself, then. Then you know why I must do what I must. Until then, I'll contact you about any big jobs that would benefit from your assistance."

Yuugo and Fei then walked away, heading towards the server transfer pad.

"So you heard from Jude from Arata?" Ryuji said. "Don't believe a word of what he said. He is only scum, running off that time without protecting his team when they needed him the most. After all, you can't protect everything without strength. Come on, let's return to Hudie."

"Roger that." Gus answered back, as they went to the server-transfer pad, and exited EDEN.


	12. Chapter 11: Grinding and Dreamin'

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 11: Grinding and Dreamin'

* * *

 _In the internet cafe, Hudie..._

Richard and Keisuke logged out of EDEN, as their friends returned, as Sanae was alone by Chitose, as they were talking to each quite well.

"...And then I thought that I might get to see some more-" Sanae was about to say, before he saw the duo leave their booths with their friends. "Oh, hey! How did the trip in EDEN go?"

"We got to meet Yuugo and Fei. That's all there is." Richard said, before he turned to Chitose. "Chitose's not bothering you, right?"

"Nah, I'm not stupid enough to hit on your friend! And besides, she said that she's not interested in me. So we settled for just talking about Digimon programs." Chitose denied with a chuckle. "By the way, Ryuji left quite quickly, when he heard that Erika is being released from the hospital. He'll be back soon with her."

"How soon?" Gus asked, before the doors of the cafe flew open, as Ryuji and Erika came in, as Chitose gestured towards them with his thumb.

"This soon." Chitose replied back with a sly smile.

Richard then came over to Erika, and gave her a hug, as Erika was surprised, before she slowly returned it back.

"How was your hospital stay, Erika?" Richard asked. "Are you really all okay now?"

"I... I'm fine." Erika answered back, as she was a little touched from Richard's show of care. "Has there been anything major since I have been away?"

"Nothing much. We found about the Demons that are led by Jimmy KEN, trying to betray the ZAXON hacker team, and hired Keisuke as their spy, unaware of who he really is." Richard explained what she missed, as he let go of her, and moved back to a fair distance between them. "We met the ZAXON leaders, Yuugo and Fei, and we finally kicked some Eater ass, thanks to some help from Arata Sanada, the former leader of Jude, a old hacker team that has been gone for a while."

"You managed to beat a Eater?" Erika asked back in surprise. "Well, I guess that it would be inevitable, considering how monstrous the growth of your partners are. Anyway, I can see that you have managed to find one of your missing friends, Richard. Just one more is missing, right?"

"Yes. Sanae Kochi is the new girl. She's a bit of a handful to deal with, but I'm sure that you just need a few strict words to reel her in for now." Richard answered back. "She's weak to girls who look 'adorable' in her view, so yeah. She's going to have to stay out of here for a while, and in other news, I managed to get my own EDEN visor. That means that I can field myself with my friends as a separate squad from Keisuke. We used that little benefit, when we solved two kinds of cases in our own areas. Both cases went well, especially when I finally have a Ultimate Digimon partner to fend off the weaker wild ones without so much a single nudge of his head."

Erika turns to Sanae, as she sees the green-haired girl was wooed by her appearance, as her face was blushing slightly, and she was trying her best not to let out any sound that would betray her adoration of Erika's appearance. Erika then looked back at Richard with a nod. "I suppose I'll get to that. Keisuke and you should come in to my room. I found some things while I was in the hospital."

"Then we'll listen." Richard said, before he called to Keisuke. "Keisuke! Erika wants to talk to us privately in her room. She got something to tell us both!"

Keisuke immediately scurried across to them, before the three of them entered Erika's room, as they took their own seat on the cushions.

"While I was stuck inside the hospital, I was looking up that old guy Akemi Suedou." Erika said. "He got some theories that makes everything we have encountered sound like a bother. The Digital Wave abnormalities and recent weird phenomena around Tokyo, seem to actually correlate with the amount of Eaters that we encountered in EDEN, as well as that Digital Shift in Shinjuku, where we had that accident that landed me in there. They've all got to be a indicator of something unbelievable on the horizon. Putting together all the many eyewitness accounts of hackers that have seen the Eaters, especially from those who went in the Digital Shifts. It's likely that the Eaters are causing Digital Shifts, but how?"

"No clue." Keisuke answered back, shaking his head in denial. "But are you sure that you'll be fine, with that sickness of yours? It doesn't have any known cure to us..."

"Don't worry about it. It's not like staying holed up in here will make it better." Erika responded back. "It was worth it to receive crucial knowledge that would have led us on the right trail to solving the digital phenomena. Besides, Ryuji told me that you're a ZAXON double-agent now, Keisuke. So why don't you take on a case while you do that? By the way, check the Bulletin Board. I have something for you two to read upon."

Richard and Keisuke nodded, as they left the room, where the other members were waiting around, as Ryuji and Chitose were gone again to deal with their own matters.

"Alright, let's see what Erika has in mind for us..." Richard said, before he opened up a case called 'Learning about Digital Waves' that was posted by Erika, as it showed a cluster of links to articles regarding research on Digital Waves. "Oh. This is very annoying. Keisuke, could you take care of this? I'm not one for studying this kind of stuff."

"Sure, but why? Are you going somewhere?" Keisuke asked back.

' _Because I already know the crap in the sites... Even if most of it was omitted by the time-skip_.' Richard thought to himself, before he then answered back. "I've got to check up on all EDEN servers. There could possibly be Demon activity. You have any ideas where they went?"

"Not really. All I got in the meeting was Jimmy KEN giving me the spy role." Keisuke responded back to the question.

"Figures." Richard said, before he activated his EDEN visor. "Everyone, gather around me. Keisuke, you have enough data for a Yokomon to be created, right?"

"Yeah, I forgot to tell you last time. While you Digivolved your Digimon, I had the Yokomon created. Is she to be Sanae's Digimon partner?" Keisuke asked.

"Read me like a book." Richard said, as he logged in with everyone.

* * *

 _In Kowloon's third level..._

Richard landed in the server transfer pad that was located in this floor, as the group looked out to the area, as Richard merely nodded his head.

"Suitable level of difficulty... Enough wild Digimon here to fight without risk of being injured severely from each encounter..." Richard muttered to himself, as he turned to his group, and clapped his hands together like a leader calling for the attention of his employees. "Alright, boys and girls, and Digimon, male and female. We have some grinding to do."

"Grinding? What do you mean by that term?" Ran asked. "It is a foreign term that I know nothing about."

"In short, we're going to do some things that is going to be for the good of EDEN: We're hunting the hostile wild Digimon around this sector." Richard said, before he then turned to Sanae. "Why haven't you summoned Aya?"

"Aya?" Sanae asked, as she seemed to be worried. "I'm not sure... Richard. Are you sure a Rookie form Digimon like her will be safe?"

"Come on, Sanae." Richard mused with a smile on his face. "You know full well that I would never expose any of you guys to unnecessary danger. Besides, we need to Digivolve as fast as possible, and some good battles with the hostile wildlife here should help us get stronger."

"But I must ask, should we really be doing this?" Sun asked. "Sure, we're getting rid of Digimon that would be danger to other harmless Digimon, but think about them, how would they feel in that situation?"

Richard remained silent, as he stared at Sun in the eyes silently, as he sighed.

"...I'm full aware of what you're implying, Sun." Richard replied, as he walked closer, and placed a hand on Sun's metal chestplate, speaking in a slightly morose tone. "But don't think that this is the worst of evils. They are without a sane or sentient mind, like you. You were all created by Mirei to live a happy and fulfilling life. It is a privilege that very few can manage to have. Think back to the Digimon who could think and speak like you. Airdramon, the Kyubimon and Gargomon that the other team had, Sangloupmon. Did you never note that I have never destroyed a single Digimon like them, even when it was easy to do so with the overwhelming power Kuro had? Putting those wild Digimon out of their misery is for their own good. You may call me a cruel person for this, but think about the fact that no matter how much of the Digimon we erase, they will keep on coming back again and again, without their minds. Killing them is a temporary death that fuels the cycle of evolution here. Take a good think, Sun. How do you think that most of the Digimon here obtained higher forms? Merely by letting age pass their by? By feeding themselves? No, Sun. It's time I tell you something: In the Digital World, the only absolute law is the law of the jungle: Kill to adapt, or die unevolved. It won't forgive even the most small and innocent of creatures. So almost all of the wild Digimon here are beings filled with the idea of murder and survival, there is no hope in enforcing a sense of compassion or sentience in them..."

Everyone was shocked by how Richard stated all of the horrifying truth that he knew with a calm expression and even tone, as Sun was left bowing his head, as he was doubting what to believe: Whether to believe that all Digimon deserve to live lives like him, or that Richard was right, that some Digimon can't be saved."

Richard then turned around, as he spoke under his breath. "Especially what I have to do to give Kuro his final, most fitting form..." He whispered under his breath. "A sacrifice that will change him forever, not in physical form, but in understanding what he truly would become... Oh Sun... You are just so much like Gus, even when you don't realise that."

"So... They are most akin to the demons that my holy maiden fight?" Ran questioned.

"...Yes. That is what Richard is saying." Reimu said. "Even if he can't bring himself to say it."

Richard then faced the group again, as he seemed to be a little more better than before.

"I'm sorry. I just had to say it. I knew that one of you would ask the question." Richard apologised with a short bow of his head. "But the question is: Do you understand me? I don't ask you to accept my ideals about all of this, but I ask that you have listened to all I have to say. That is all."

"...Damn... And I thought that you were all cool and calm." Kuro said. "I never thought you were hurting inside about every time you fought the wild Digimon. Did Keisuke feel the same thing as you did?"

"No... He was never aware of the truth. To him, the wild Digimon are obstacles in his way, that try to harm us. He acted in protection of everyone, not knowing this cruel truth." Richard answered back.

"Well, I guess that there is at least a benefit to all of this needless killing... We'll use their data to gain power, in order to fight four our very cause." Kuro said. "If they're forced to die again and again in the hands of so many others, what makes us the guilty party, if we ever killed them? I never did know how many any one of them died and been reborn in the world."

"...I see." Sun said. "I'm sorry. If that is the case, then we'll at least try to stop them from harming everyone. At least there might be a chance that they'll gain mind and sentience like us, the next time around?"

"Man, listening to all of this is just real depressing." Bolt sighed. "But still, if it's for the sake of making me faster and stronger, so that I won't be able to die so easily to the real threats, I guess we'll have to cope with what we have to do."

"I will pray for the peaceful journey of those who have been slain for a merciful cause." Ran spoke in a melancholic tone. "Their deaths will be painless and swift, so that they won't have to suffer."

Richard remained silent, as he nodded, as Sanae summoned Aya, which was a pink Biyomon, a pink bird Digimon with arm-like wings, a feather mane, a red beak, blue eyes, blue stripes on her crest, blue borders on her head and tail feathers, yellow legs, and red claws. She also wore a metallic grey ring on her left leg.

"Hey hey! It's me, Aya! I'm going to do my best to be stronger, so that I'll be able to keep everyone happy!" Aya spoke in a peppy tone, before she noticed the grim expressions on the faces of the other Digimon, as well as on Richard, as her cheery attitude dropped a little. "What's, what's wrong? Did something happen to any of you?"

"No... It's nothing, little Aya." Ran answered on behalf of the other Digimon. "We'll be fighting a lot of Digimon here. Are you sure you'll be fine to fight with us?"

"Of course! I'm very confident that my best friend Sanae will support me! We're going to be a unstoppable pair, right!?" Aya replied back with a prideful tone.

"Yeah. That's right." Sanae smiled gently.

They soon marched through Kowloon's third level, as Richard's expression of sorrow and regret did not budge a little.

 _After a few hours of grinding..._

The entire group seemed to be exhausted, Digimon and avatars, as they rested themselves in a small circular area, as Richard wiped the sweat of his brow.

"It was a long and hard battle against the wild Digimon, huh?" Richard said to everyone. "I can't believe that we've been fighting back-to-back for so long. Every single Capsule, Spray and Discs I have stocked up has just been used up so quickly."

"Same here." "Me too." "I agree." "Yeah, what a waste." The other members piped up, respectively from Gus, Antonio, Sanae and Reimu.

"...But it was worth it." Richard said, as he looked at Kuro's status on the Digivice. "Kuro's just got enough to Digivolve, and Ran is ready to Digivolve as well. Aya is the same, but she's got so much data that she can just jump two levels up in one single Digivolution."

Everyone was silent, as Richard got up.

"Come on, we need to make a visit to the DigiLab." Richard said to everyone, as he walked to the server transfer pad. "And don't agonise over it. Every single one that we have destroyed will be back here in a hour or so. So you haven't killed them off in actual terms."

The group followed his head, as they were unaware that Richard was actually shedding a few tears down his eyes, which he wiped off with a swift wipe with his fingers.

' _Yuugo may seem to be cruel, but the actual cruelest here... is me._ ' Richard thought to himself with closed eyes, recalling what he has done with a pang of regret in his mind.

* * *

 _Back at Hudie..._

The entire group returned from their 'grinding' session, as they came back more tense than when they came in, as Richard took off the EDEN visor.

"Come on, we need to check Keisuke." Richard said, as they moved to his booth.

They found the young hacker asleep on the computer, as he seemed to be on a article page regarding Digital Waves, as Richard's mood lightened a little seeing Keisuke's dreamy look on his face, in his sleeping state.

"Oh, you poor boy. You've must have tucked yourself out. But it ain't the time to be sleeping. It's still the afternoon after all." Richard said, as he pinched Keisuke's cheeks gently to wake him up from the feeling of pain. "Up and at them, kid. Ryuji and Chitose might have a mission for you."

Keisuke woke up, as he blinked his eyes, as he noticed Richard. "Oh, you must have been the one who woke me up." Keisuke replied back, as he yawned a little. "Sorry, I crammed a lot of stuff into my mind. I'm up to date with the knowledge of Digital Waves, so if you need to know, I'll be there to tell you everything I learnt."

Suddenly, Keisuke's phone began to buzz, as Keisuke received the incoming call, as he listened to it, before then putting it down.

"We got a big case from Yuugo." Keisuke told everyone. "He said that he wants to meet everyone in the forum. Well, Richard and me, at least."

"Oh, come on? Still a no-go from him, after we managed to shake hands with him?" Antonio complained, before he sighed. "Bummer."

"Don't worry, just make sure you're listening on the Digivices." Richard said, as he scurried to his own booth, as he prepared to log back into EDEN without his friends. "See you then."

Richard then entered EDEN again, as he went to the ZAXON forum to meet Yuugo.

* * *

 _In the ZAXON forum..._

Richard and Keisuke arrived within moments of each other, as they found Yuugo standing around the back of the area, as they walked up to him.

"I've been waiting for both of you." Yuugo said with a smile. "I've never seen your hacking skills at work. The job I'm offering is not a easy one, but I expect you and your friends to do it well. I'll explain the case, have you heard of a organisation called Dreamin'?"

"No. I have not." Keisuke honestly replied back with a shake of his head.

"Well, you best listen closely. Dreamin' is a group that abuses EDEN's systems to scam money from people. This is their MO: their modus operandi." Yuugo stated. "First, they host a event in EDEN and invite people to take part. Then they hypnotise anyone who attends. This makes them hand over their financial details, which the group uses to steal money. Lots of people have fallen victim to them, but they always get away without leaving a trace, ZAXON hackers included. Hypnosis isn't possible in cyberspace. It must be some sort of hack. My guess about it that they somehow disrupt the virtual feelings received by EDEN's avatar."

"Woah, that's what could make it possible?" Richard asked, as he was genuinely shocked to hear all that.

"Perhaps. They must be formidable hackers, which means that we are vulnerable as well." Yuugo confirmed the fact. "If we leave them to their own devices, no one in EDEN will be safe from them. I can't allow people like them to prey on the innocent. There's no place for them in EDEN. I swear on ZAXON's reputation that they will be brought to justice. My associates are still searching for their location, as they must have a base to coordinate such a crime wave in the EDEN servers. Rendezvous with Fei, and join the investigation. She's not easy to find, but someone in this forum could tell you where she might be."

They both nodded, as they walked around, asking every ZAXON hacker they could find, before they could piece together from their accounts that Fei was already a step ahead, charging into the Dreamin' hideout with some other ZAXON hackers, where their first stop was the first level of Under Kowloon.

"If she's ahead, Keisuke, then things might already got sticky! Let's move." Richard said, as they hopped onto the server transfer pad to head to their destination server.

* * *

 _In Under Kowloon's first level..._

As the duo rushed to the area, they found a duo of ZAXON hackers, who were obviously hypnotised, as they were wriggling around on their feet, with glazed eyes and jerky movements.

"Oh... So many cats..." One of them spoke in a dreamy tone. "One... Two... Three... So many... So happy..."

Richard then sighed, as he went over to them, and smacked them on the cheek hard enough to floor them, as they got up, clutching their stinging cheek.

"Ow, what was that for!?" The hacker spoke in a aggravated tone.

"You were being hypnotised. Yuugo has been looking for you two, and he's not happy." Richard answered them.

"I was having a lovely dream... Wait, we were already attacked by Dreamin' and put under their control before!?" The other hacker of ZAXON spoke in a shocked tone. "Shit, and I thought that things were strange for the first few moments. We owe you thanks for that, you're both Hudie hackers, right? Are you helping us look for the leader of that hacker group?"

"Yes. We were." Keisuke answered back. "Have you seen Fei with you?"

"No. We remember that she already got the URL for their hideout and charged in alone." The first hacker spoke. "Then we met some suspicious people. We tried to apprehend them, and they forced us to battle, and then... we have no memories after that... We woke up here right now from you. We saw that Fei was pursuing someone who looked like their leader."

"Yeah. We'll get to that." Richard said. "You have the URL she dived into at least?"

"Mm. Here." The other hacker stated, as he sent the Dreamin' hideout's URL to them. "If you're serious about Yuugo being unhappy, we better make it back double-time. It's all up to you guys to help Fei."

The two hackers left, as Richard and Keisuke went for the server transfer pad, as they took the new URL to another server.

* * *

 _In the Dreamin' hideout's Digital Space..._

The duo found themselves in the usual Digital Space platform maze that they have both seen enough times to be familiar with its purposes, as they examined the dark purple background and the cyan platforms forming the paths.

"I feel suspicious about the colouring of the platforms, then again, colour doesn't matter much except for cosmetic stuff." Richard said, as they advanced, taking out any Digimon in their way.

They soon found Fei being restrained by two men that seemed to be hackers of the Dreamin' hacker team, as Richard immediately rushed forward, and klcked one of them off, as he punched the other off with a punch to the gut, as Fei got up.

"What are you doing here!?" Fei demanded. "I can handle these scumbags by myself! Although I'm actually impressed that you managed to punch them off me..."

"We were sent by Yuugo. Your little bravado got you restrained, and your hacker group was hypnotised into being in a field of kittens." Richard bluntly stated. "Either way, where is the leader they were talking about?"

"Who are you calling scum-bags?" A surly female voice sounded out, as a woman in a yellow coat and long skirt appeared, as she had long black hair that flowed down the back of her head, as her face had a arrogant and malicious smirk on her face, which seemed to not budge at all.

"This is the leader of Dreamin', right in the flesh." Fei stated.

"So you were responsible for all of those cases?" Richard asked in a serious tone.

"Hush, I don't think you fully grasp the seriousness of this situation." The leader spoke in a condescending tone. "You're on our turf, and we've got you surrounded. Your little friend, Yuugo, can't help you here. Off you go, run away with your tails between your legs."

"And what's to prevent you from hunting us down when we run?" Richard asked again, this time with a more thinly-veiled hostile tone.

"Ha!" The leader laughed sharply. "I'm a reasonable grown-up! I'm willing to overlook you kids' rude behaviour this time."

"You don't scare me." Fei answered back with a sneer. "I came here all by myself. I wanted to make things up to the group. I don't even need to call Yuugo, to handle a few scumbags like you, especially with a snobby woman like you!"

"You talk big... But you'll change your tune soon enough." The leader mocked, as she snapped her fingers, as there was a sudden sweet smell in the air, as Fei whiffed it in unintentionally.

"What's that? It smells so sweet... No...!" Fei said, as her voice became more and more tired, before she fell to the ground, as she was asleep, as she was still talking, in a less serious tone and a more shy and timid tone, with a blush on her face. "Oh... Yuugo. That's not appropriate..."

"Shit! Don't breathe that stuff in, Keisuke!" Richard exclaimed, as he covered his mouth and nose with his hands, stifling his breath as much as possible to avoid breathing the sweet sleeping gas in.

"Don't bother, you'll be asleep soon enough, the both of you." The leader spoke in a soft and lulling tone, as Keisuke did the same, although he was starting to fall under the effects, as he was beginning to flicker his eyes rapidly to keep himself up and awake. "Kids get so cranky when they don't get enough sleep."

Keisuke then fell down to the group, as Richard stared at the leader with venom in his gaze. "You won't get away with this..." Richard hissed, as he was beginning to lose consciousness, as he fell onto his knees.

"Hehehe... I already have, and I will continue to do so." The leader spoke, as she stared at Richard with gleeful eyes. "That's what happens to snivelling brats who mess with grown-ups."

"Damn... Y...ou..." Richard growled weakly, before his head fell to the ground, and he fell asleep like the rest of his group.

* * *

 _In Richard's dreamscape..._

Richard woke up, when he felt a jolt in his mind, as he found himself in a familiar environment. He was surrounded by a room, with a desk which has books, documents, stationary boxes, and a lamp on it, a closet that held most of his personal collection of attires, as well as a small TV that was connected to several gaming consoles, as the nearby shelves were stacked with his personal favourite video-game titles. The room was painted red on the walls, with several paintings of each and every person that he has met and knew, drawn in a more cutesy and chibi-like form.

When he got out of bed, he looked outside, as he managed to see the small traditional village where he spent most of his life as a traveller in, bustling with both human and youkai, as he could see a large lake surrounded by forest, where the watery surface was light-blue with the sparkling of the icy mist that permeates in it.

' _That's strange..._ 'Richard thought to himself. ' _I don't remember being even around the Human Village before I fell unconscious. Was everything that happened, a dream that has yet to pass?_ '

Richard then sighed. ' _That's fine. If it's a vision of the future, I can use it to do things better this time around. Maybe I'll kill Trillion in one fell swoop with the knowledge and training that I have attained... Wait, knowledge and training from the vision!?'_

He then examined his own body, as he squeezed several essential parts of his body, from the legs to the arms to the chest, as he felt that his muscles were much stronger than what he left his homeworld, Gensokyo, with, and he felt that his mana is stronger than before as well.

' _Weird... Is this some kind of dream that has effects on the real world? If so, I better make dreams like that more often. I don't care if it feels like a year or two has passed, it's not like real time has passed in the real world.'_

He then heard knocking at the door, as a short and cute girl, with short silver hair, that was left to be styled like a more wild version of Richard's own, as she had a pair of furry fox ears on top of her head, and there were two silver brushed tails with a white-tip that were wriggling on her back. She had cute silver eyes that shone of innocence, and she was dressed in a small silver blouse, with silver faded tattoos in the shape of stars on the front, wears a moderately lengthy silver skirt that has the symbols of the Bagua spread around the hem in blue paint, and was completely bare of any footwear on her feet.

"Big brotherrr~" The fox-girl seemed to greet Richard, as she ran up to Richard with her arms out, as Richard immediately caught the girl in a hug, as he swivelled around and lifted her in the air with a euphoric and joyous expression, as he looked at the person that he held with the highest regard in his collection of acquaintances and friends.

' _My adopted little sister... Heiwa..._ ' Richard thought, as he watched as she laughed and smiled, as Richard cuddled her close. ' _She's the one person who has saved me from the recesses of despair from whence I came from at that time. I could never leave her alone without anyone to care for her in my absence, as my heart aches at every moment I spend away from her, even though I never showed it. Even so..._ '

Richard then put the young kitsune down, as he ruffled her on the head as a petting attempt, as Heiwa's ears twitched a little, as she hummed in enjoyment of the action.

"What's my little cute dumpling doing in my room? You love your big brother so much that you want to come in for hugs and pets?" Richard asked in a friendly and warm tone. "How was your day with Keine-sensei? Did she teach you a lot today?"

"Of course! She taught me a lot, and I got praised when I managed to solve the question she put out for the class!" Heiwa said back, as she was excited. "Even Cirno-nee was cheering me on!"

"Ha ha ha, nothing less expected from one of the budding geniuses of Gensokyo." Richard said. "One day, I'll come to surpass the likes of Minerva, Yukari and Eirin in time..."

"You're not going to go, right?" Heiwa asked, as her ears drooped, revealing that she was either conflicted or sad. "I don't want you to go. I want you to stay with me."

"So do I, Heiwa, my little sister. So do I. I would never voluntarily leave you for so long without someone to care for you." Richard answered back, as he bowed his head, trying to hide his increasingly sorrowful expression. "But... But what I must do... What I must do, is for the sake of everyone. If I don't go, then everyone will be in danger of being gone forever. What if it takes away someone we loved, Heiwa? It would hurt so immensely. So I must fight on, so that everyone will be free of the burden that refuses to leave us no matter what we have done."

Richard then clutched his head.

' _Wait... My mind feels so much lighter. Am I losing something? Or is it my eternal weight of my sins decreasing when I'm comforted by the only person who could break free of that envious darkness?_ ' Richard thought. ' _Either way, I just want to spend more time with you... Heiwa... Just a little more longer..._ '

"Big brother, could you tell me something?" Heiwa asked. "Could you... tell me your username and account password?"

The sudden break of character was all it was needed to remind Richard of what he was in.

' _Ah... That's right. This is Phantomon's doing. He's trying to get the information of my 'avatar' out of me._ ' Richard thought, as his feelings deteriorated greatly. ' _But at least he's making the dream Heiwa so realistic from my memories of her... I don't mind staying a little longer... Even though he might get frustrated by my reply._ '

"Don't be silly, my little fluffy fox-girl!" Richard laughed. "Why would someone like you want my gaming account password? You're too young to be playing the games that I'm playing. Remember when we played that game, Five Night's at Freddy's? I remember when you jumped out of your chair and hit your head on the ceiling from the high height you jumped, when we were caught by Foxy."

"...Yeah..." Heiwa said, before he turned to Richard with sad eyes. "You know that this was a dream made by someone else all along?"

"...I guess you could say that." Richard answered back, as he frowned. "But even so... Even if you're just a projection of a dream..."

Richard then embraced Heiwa on his chest, as he let the tears flow from his eyes.

"I wanted to see you again... For so long..." Richard sobbed, as he sniffed a few times. "Sniff... I don't care if you'll be gone when I wake up, just please... Please let me feel your warmth once again, it felt real enough for me to feel comfort again for so long in my inner heart..."

The false Heiwa was surprised by Richard's actions, as she hugged him back.

"Then we'll stay here for as long it will take for you to wake up." The Heiwa impostor said. "You really miss me, do you, big brother?"

Heiwa only snuggled against Richard, as the two of them were locked in a long embrace in Richard's own dream.


	13. Chapter 12: Domination and Phantomon

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 12: Domination Battle and Phantomon

A/N: I'll put it up now, warning for this chapter, if you don't want to see Richard being merciless and sadistic, skip to the moment where Phantomon makes his little conversation. There's a reason my stories have a M rating: For chapters that are not fitting for a teen audience.

* * *

 _In the Digital Space..._

After a moment, Richard suddenly woke up without any stimuli, as he found that Keisuke was mumbling to Erika, while Fei was still being in her dream with Yuugo, as he got up, as he saw that the Dreamin' Leader was watching them, as she was surprised that Richard woke up so quickly, as her devilish smirk wavered a little.

"Oh my, what's the matter? Did you have a nightmare?" The leader taunted. "You woke up so quickly than the rest of the others. I'm actually impressed."

"You..." Richard hissed, as he glared at her with cold and hateful eyes.

Before either of them could move, Yuugo ran onto the platform, as he had Machinedramon by his side.

"Well, this went better than I expected." Yuugo sighed, as he turned to Richard. "You weren't affected as well as the others, were you?"

"Yeah... I just woke up for some strange reason." Richard nodded. ' _But the truth is that the dream faded itself, having failed its purpose._ '

"I see... Did the dream... seem personal?" Yuugo said, as he noticed that Richard's eyes were a little red from the tears shed in his dream, as the wet glistening streams ran down his cheek, even if they were mostly dry.

Richard soon realised what Yuugo was talking about, before Richard then wiped the top of his cheeks, as he feel the moistness of his tears.

"Yeah... It was a memory... A memory that was painful to remember even for the briefest of moments." Richard spoke back in a solemn tone. "I'll wake Keisuke up."

Richard then walked over to Keisuke, as he pulled him up, before he then smacked Keisuke across the cheeks a few times, as he knew that Keisuke was in a deeper dreaming state than the hackers they met before.

"...Muh?" Keisuke asked, as he didn't seemed to be too affected by the stinging pain of the slaps. "Richard, what happened?"

"We were knocked asleep just before. I managed to wake up quite quickly, but you were still being under the influence of a dream. I had to slap you a few more times to get you up, because you were in a deeper dream." Richard said, as he saw that Yuugo was using Machinedramon to forcefully wake up Fei with the use of some special coding, that caused the girl with hairbuns to jolt awake onto her feet.

"Yuugo...? Why are you here?" Fei asked.

"You found the hideout, but it looks like things got too much for you all." Yuugo said. "Even if Richard woke up earlier than you, it would have been a dire situation if he had to fight the Dreamin' members alone. Fei, you always rush in without thinking. We all worry about you."

"Yu... Yuugo..." Fei stuttered, as she blushed at Yuugo's considerate words.

"So it's Yuugo from ZAXON." The leader of Dreamin' spoke.

"And you must be the leader of Dreamin'." Yuugo responded back. "Your crimes end here. I'll make you pay for ruining the sanctity of EDEN."

"Oh, so you're mad that we messed up your personal sandbox?" The leader retorted. "And I see that you have brought lot of little friends. You shouldn't underestimate grown-ups, you know?"

"I don't give a fuck." Richard coldly swore. "Show me... Show me that Digimon that was responsible for what just happened."

As if on cue, a levitating wraith-like Digimon that wears a red hooded cape concealing its face and is covered in a grey cloth that hides its true form. It wields a scythe-like sickle and chain which coupled with the hood makes it resemble the mythological Grim Reaper. Its hood has a skull and hazard symbol on it and it wears a chain necklace with a crystal shaped like an eyeball attached to it.

"Phantomon..." Richard muttered. "So it was you who was responsible for the hypnosis of others. Makes sense since you would be able to fool the senses of the avatars in EDEN. Altering consciousness to attain information from people by the use of masquerade and misdirection through memory alteration."

"I never knew that Digimon are capable of doing such things." Fei said, before she noticed what Richard was saying. "Wait, why exactly do you know this? You're recently a hacker, right?"

"Experience with Digimon time and time again has finally sunk lots of knowledge about them in my head, Fei." Richard answered back. "It's very much possible and easy to deduce such a theory."

"It can't be just an ordinary Digimon. How did you change its programming?" Yuugo demanded.

"We grown-ups have our ways." The leader sneered back. "It doesn't matter how many of you kids there are, you're no match for us."

"I return those words back to you, you manipulative whore." Richard darkly spat back, as he summoned Kuro. "A straight-up duel or a Domination Battle, I'll -pulverise every single person that gets in my way. Especially YOU."

"Hmph. And it was supposed to be an adult's job to teach children good manners." Yuugo scoffed. "You're nothing but a cancer in cyberspace."

Richard then looked at Phantomon, as he noticed that it didn't look quite as menacing he expected.

"...You don't really want to fight, do you?" Richard spoke quietly, as he seemed to talking to the wraith. "I can see it, your eyes show that you've had some sort of change of heart."

The Phantomon remained silent, as it bowed its head, as it swung its scythe slowly, as a gesture for Richard to fight it, if he wanted to see if he was right about it.

"...I see." Richard said, as he turned to Kuro. "Kuro, you'll be fine to fight alone, right?"

"I've got a arsenal of attacks, and I'm Ultimate Level. Even if they're trained and well-nurtured, I believe that they won't be a hard fight, even that Phantomon there isn't going to win against me other than in a miracle." Kuro answered back.

"Don't hold back! Take them down! We'll purge EDEN of our enemies!" Yuugo cried, as he turned to Fei. "Fei, you should head back. Take a rest in the forum. I'll have Keisuke and Richard back me up."

"But-!" Fei was about to say, before he saw Yuugo glaring at her.

"Go." Yuugo said in a more forceful tone, as Fei nodded, and left the Digital Space quickly.

"My, my, you're trusting the help of two children who barely grasped hacking, Yuugo?" The leader mocked. "You must be truly naive to think you can handle us alone."

"That's where you're wrong. I challenge you to a Domination Battle. If we win, you will hand over that Phantomon, and never plague EDEN with misery and pain ever again with your actions." Yuugo declared. "If we lose, we will not take on your case once again."

"Hmph. Then allow me to educate you to respect your elders, brat." The leader said, as she snapped her fingers, as two of her top hacker members came to her side.

The six competitors soon disappeared, as they found themselves a different battlefield from the previous Domination Battle, as the ground seems to have the spawn point on the edges of the field, with the middle being below the first few rows of each side, where a T-formation of high-value point sections were found.

"What's your take on this one, Keisuke?" Richard asked. "Reckon we'll be able to trash their Digimon alone with only one Digimon each?"

"Yeah. Our Digimon are already past their evolution threshold, right?" Keisuke asked. "That would mean they are only less powerful than their post-evolved forms, right?"

"That's absolutely right." Richard said. "I want you floor out any of the members who try to take the big points. Leave that arrogant sow to me. I'll see if she's full of air with those haughty words of hers."

Richard then moved down, as he claimed a 5-point area, as Yuugo and Keisuke advanced down the middle area as well, ending the team's turn.

The Dreamin' team immediately advanced, as they took the 5-point areas on their side, as the score became 15-5 against Yuugo, Richard and Keisuke.

"Fuck... This field is to their advantage." Richard said, as he moved down into the 10-point area. "Remember the strategy, leave the leader to me, deal with the grunts. Yuugo, if you mind, I have a score to settle with her. You'll easily wipe out the others with Machinedramon, right?"

"If you wish." Yuugo nodded.

Richard then hopped down in the 10-point area in the pit, as Yuugo and Keisuke both engaged a Dreamin' member each.

Yuugo was pitted against a Syakomon, a Lunamon, which was a short white rabbit Digimon with ears laced with purple ribbons, as well as two droopy ears on the side of its head, and yellow crescent marks on its body and arm, as well as one on its forehead, a Otamamon, which was a large tadpole Digimon with a blue-black colouring, a large maw and two round eyes, as well as clawed arms.

"Pitiful." Yuugo said, as he clicked his tongue in disgust seeing the combination of Rookie Digimon that the hacker was using. "Machinedramon, Infinity Cannon. Purge their Digimon in one blow."

The Machinedramon let out a bellow, as its back cannons pulsed with yellow energy, as it fired lasers out of it, sweeping the field, as they struck the Rookie Digimon and caused them to vaporise into data bits upon being hit, as the hacker was left shocked, as the hacker was forced back to his spawn point.

Keisuke's opponent had a pair of Fanbeemons, as well as a DemiDevilmon, which was a round bat-like Digimon with black tattered leather around the top of its head and wings like a helmet of some sort, as well as red claws on its talons.

"MegaKabuterimon, Rune Forest!" Keisuke ordered his partner, as MegaKabuterimon gathered a ball of green energy on his head's horn, before it then flew forward at the enemy group, before it erupted on the ground into a series of wooden spikes that pierced and thrusted at the Digimon from multiple sides, as it managed to bring down the two Fanbeemons, and leave the DemiDevilmon very weak, as it tried to attack back.

The hacker was sweating, as he noticed that his partner was defeated, and he was close to a defeat like him, as he immediately backed away on his turn, refusing to fight anymore.

The leader immediately went for Richard, as the boy has predicted, as Kuro and the Phantomon came face-to-face.

"So, any snark remarks you have, before I smash you into the ground, huh?" Richard asked back. "I don't usually call for a Giga Blaster from Kuro, since it's meant to be a single-target skill. But this is the most ideal situation for it, and your little Phantomon is about to become its receiver."

"We'll see." The leader said, as she silently gestured for the Phantomon to attack, as it raised its scythe, as it glowed with a deathly purple aura, as he slashes across Kuro, causing the BlackMetalGreymon to back down a little, as a small scratch appeared on the metal chest armour.

"How strong, as expected of a Ultimate." Richard said. "However, your Phantomon has stagnated in power, having never found any sources of data, nor a worthy opponent to hone its skill. Kuro has both, and thus, he will be strong enough to beat you regardless."

Kuro then launched forward, as he used Volkenapalm to strike Phantomon, sending the ghostly Digimon flying back, as it righted itself mid-flight, floating back.

"It doesn't matter what you do, this battle ends with your defeat." Richard spoke with a smirk. "So what if I'm a kid? I have a Digimon stronger than you, and that makes me right here. And I tell you to go and fuck yourself, especially with those twisted words of yours."

"Oh my, that's crude language from a uneducated brat like you." The leader chuckled, before she then spoke again. "But I do have something special for you and your so-called partner of a Digimon. Phantomon, Shadow Scythe."

Phantomon's scythe grew in size, as it grew gnarled teeth on the edge, as it flew forward, and slashed at Kuro, as this strike managed to cut through the metal chest plating on Kuro's body, as it drew blood from the attack, as Kuro growled in pain.

"Well now..." Richard growled. "Using your special move now? Only fair that I return that favour back to you! Kuro! Giga Blaster! Catch that sucker in the face!"

"With pleasure!" Kuro said, as he arched back, as he fired off twin missiles from his chest hatches, as they were darker in colouring than the ones Sun fired, and had red lines on them, as they both hit the Phantomon, sending it flying back, as it struggled to get up.

"What!? How dare you!? I'll make sure that you'll suffer that nightmare you had before again-" The leader hissed in anger, as her smile faded into a merciless scowl.

"Checkmate." Richard stated, as he smiled again, this time with pride. "It's game over for you.

"What? What do you mean, you brat? I lost? We aren't even done fighting yet!" The leader barked back with a sharp laugh.

"You did forget what kind of match you and your friends have signed up for, did you?" Richard asked back, as he crossed his arms, as he turned the miniature score-board in front of him. "We won, just not in the way you were thinking."

The leader growled, as she turned her scoreboard on, as she saw that the score was now 30-0 to ZAXON's favour, making them the flawless victors of the Domination Battle. "How did you...!?"

She then looked up around her, as she saw that while the two of them fought, Yuugo and Keisuke took the 5-point sectors formerly under Dreamin' control, as Keisuke was the one to take the winning sector for the team, as voiced congratulations sounded.

"You... YOU!" The leader stuttered, as she pointed a shaking finger at a smug Richard.

"I knew that you couldn't set your pride aside, and went for me when I gone for the 10-point sector in the middle." Richard said. "You were so determined to destroy me that you neglected to think about the situation around me. Typical of a naive grown-up. Unlike you, we've grown up in situations like this, and adapted to them. Such things won't easily faze us."

The competitors then found themselves in the Digital Space, as the Dreamin' members, frightened by the display that they saw from the ZAXON team, as they fled from the area without a single moment of hesistation.

"How dare you... kids get in our way!?" The leader hissed, as she was clutching her face in anger with her right hand. "I would have gotten what I wanted!"

"Adult or child, it makes no difference. No one should be allowed to abuse EDEN." Yuugo said, as he gestured for Machinedramon to grab her. "Pay for your crimes in the real world."

The Phantomon immediately moved in front of the Dreamin' leader, as it seemed to want to protect the leader, as Yuugo's expression grew more cold.

"Using a dying Digimon as a shield... Despicable." Yuugo spat at the display.

"Hehe, I didn't make it do anything. I never have." The leader chuckled, as her smile was back on her face. "Phantomon never been my servant. It's been my partner right from the start. It did everything on its own free will. It's my business partner. This crime is a joint Digimon-human undertaking. It was all Phantomon's idea to scam gullible humans and steal their money."

"So you're saying that it was your partner from the start." Kuro said, as he looked at Phantomon with indifferent eyes. "So I see.. Your interests aligned, did they not?"

Phantomon nodded its head slowly in response.

"Now do you realise how little you kids know?" The Dreamin' leader asked back, with her hands out. "You all really are so stupid. But what else can you expect from a bunch of kids, playing heroes and law-bringers? We're not the bad ones in all this. EDEN is just so easy to abuse! If you want to blame anything, blame EDEN itself!"

"It doesn't matter, one way or the other, you are never going to set foot in EDEN again. I'll hand you over to people who know how to deal with you." Yuugo answered back.

"Hahaha, and what are you going to do-? Try to cuff me with Phantomon stopping you-" The leader laughed again.

" **No... I have had enough. Our deal has been met.** " The Phantomon answered back in a gravelly male voice, as he turned to the female hacker leader.

Everyone was surprised when the Phantomon suddenly began speaking, as Richard seemed to be the least shocked, as he didn't know that he could speak, and Kuro's jaw was agape, while Keisuke and Yuugo's eyes were wide at the display of sentience, as the leader was shocked speechless for a moment.

"What... What did you say?" The leader asked back slowly.

" **I've only made a partnership with you, because it was my duty to do so.** **Had this situation never happened, we would have stayed longer to cause more evil.** " Phantomon elaborated. " **Because I have caused enough evil to fulfil my duty. I no longer have need of a selfish being like you, who would disrupt the lives of those who you have met so cruelly.** "

"What? So that Digimon... It never wanted to be partners with the leader in the first place!?" Keisuke shouted. "What... What is this!?"

"You can't do that! We made a deal back then! You can't just turn your back on it! You promised that you would make me powerful and rich!" The leader screamed back, as she became desperate when she realised that her own Digimon was leaving her.

" **I have loathed every moment that I have been working with you, in all truth.** " Phantomon replied, as he didn't seem to care about the leader's words. " **Enticing you was easily done, since you humans are so easily controlled by your own desires. But you are capable of harm so much more worse than that I usually deal. At least the kind of harm I do is a necessary evil, and does not leave a permanent impression on those targeted. Yours did, or did you forget that that child that you have crushed completely, as you mocked her while she lost her mind? Do you think that I wasn't aware of the results?** "

When Richard heard the last sentence, Richard felt a rage surging through his heart, as he clenched his fist, as his knuckled began to turn white from the force of it, although his face didn't change much. Phantomon then turned to Yuugo. " **Young hacker. You have come to apprehend my former partner, have you? I have renounced my involvement and partnership with her. You may do with her as you please. I will remain here and await your judgement for what I have done that have crossed the limits of even the morality of 'evil' Digimon like I.** " He spoke, as he moved aside.

"Very well." Yuugo said, as he moved forward, before he was gripped on the shoulder by Richard, as he turned to see that Richard's eye were burning with cold hatred.

"Let me deal with her." Richard hissed with a tone filled with large amounts of animosity and resentment inside it. "She deserves more than a apprehension..."

"Then what do you plan on doing?" Yuugo asked back. "Destroying her avatar would only lock her out of her account for a few days. She would come back to wreak havoc again."

"I know. Report her, and when you next find her... then you can hand her to the EDEN authorities." Richard answered back, before a cruel smirk came on Richard's face. "I have a little way of making her suffer for what she has done."

Richard then walked up to the leader, only stopping just right in front of her, as they stared at each other, as the leader saw the look of cold hatred in his eyes, before she suddenly felt Richard's fist slug her in the face, as the pain caused her to clutch her face, howling in massive pain. He then walked over, before he then sat on top of her torso, with his legs knelt on either side, before he then grabbed both of her arms, and dislocated them swiftly with two loud cracks, as the leader screamed in indescribable pain.

Before she could scream any longer, as Keisuke was paling at what he saw Richard doing, as the hate-filled male immediately slammed his right hand on her throat so hard that it caused her to immediately stop mid-scream, before she then coughed out air and spit from the sudden choke.

"Silence." Richard spoke in a low and threatening tone. "You don't deserve to scream."

The leader rolled her eyes toward Richard, as they were filled with primal fear at the very monster that she was seeing before her eyes.

"Tell me, bitch. How did it feel when you hypnotised every single one of the people, being indiscriminate between your victims, whether they were men with dreams, kids with innocence, and woman who were infinitely your greater in terms of ethics and destiny?" Richard slowly hissed, as his eyes never moved away from hers. "Did you enjoy it? Did you laugh as you watched their inner secrets spill out? How they humiliated themselves in their catatonic state?"

The leader tried to beg, only for her voice to let out choked whimpers, which Richard interpreted as a sign of begging mercy from him, as he did not humour the request, as he merely kept his grip on her throat.

"Actually, don't answer that. Phantomon was to take the blame for all of this, but from what he has said, he was more of a sentient tool for your sick fantasies and actions." Richard continued. "A sentient tool which you have ordered countless times. Dreamin' is merely a ironic name, is it? You didn't only give people dreams, you also tried to give them nightmares, didn't you? So that you could enjoy seeing them squirm in fear and despair."

Yuugo was left shocked, as he was being surprised at the level of brutality the Hudie hacker was showing.

"Also ironic is this: I see the same look on your face, and..." Richard said, before he then smiled widely like a Cheshire cat. "I'm truly enjoying it."

The leader was trying to shout 'Monster', although her clamped throat refused to allow her to make the sound, as her whimpers turned into guttural moans.

"Oh yes, I'm a monster." Richard spoke back, as he seemed to be unfazed by her attempt, knowing what she was trying to say. "But here's the thing: I'm a monster only to REAL MONSTERS LIKE YOU."

Richard emphasised those words, with a much more tighter grip on his hand, as the leader was beginning to actually choke, as she was slowly losing her ability to breathe enough to be able to stay conscious.

"You know what I hate the most? The people I hate the most are those who represent the extremes of the sins." Richard coldly stated. "The ones that lie, cheat and slander others. The ones that kill, murder and rape for their own sick pleasures. The ones who do evil for the sake of ruining lives for amusement and watching the world burn for their twisted minds. Those who are so powerful that no-one can do anything about their purely evil actions. All that, and the few who are those combined and even surpass the limits of those definitions. I cannot stand them one single bit. Every time I see a bastard like that... It. Makes. Me. Want. To. Bring. Eternal. Suffering. Onto. Them."

Richard placed his other hand onto the leader's neck, as he tightened its grip with each accented word.

"You're wondering why EDEN isn't logging you out right now, do you?" Richard asked. "Hell if I know, but if it's happy to prolong your suffering until you faint and disappear, I'm more than happy to make use of that. Then again, you have no choice. I dislocated your arms,and with my torso holding your lower half down, you can't wriggle away from me. And using that twisted head of yours? Not possible, if you are smart enough to realise that my little slow choking routine has your head pinned down."

The leader was beginning to turn blue to the face, as her vision was beginning to fade around the edges.

"When you really log out, I know that you will feel this pain long after you take off that EDEN visor of yours." Richard said. "It's not like you won't be able to breathe, like you are unable to right now. But that lingering pain will stay in your neck long after this little righteous torture session ends. So you'll be getting off easy once you're out. However, there is one more thing I like to say: I'd suggest following Yuugo's little advice. Never come to EDEN... because if I find you again... I'LL FINISH WHAT I HAVE STARTED."

He then watched as the leader's eyes rolled over into the whites, as she stopped breathing, and her avatar disappeared from the Digital Space, as Richard slowly got up, and turned around, as his expression was a more grim one, as his hatred was still evaporating.

"It is done." Richard spoke in a stoic tone. "If you are scarred at what you have seen, forgive me, but I am a person who follows my emotions. It deemed that the treacherous leader is deserving of a worse punishment, Yuugo. This fear that I have instilled in her will prove more useful as a deterrent than what you might do to her."

Yuugo was left silent, as Keisuke was pale, as he was doing his best not to scream, as Richard walked to him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I know how you feel, Keisuke. But I did what is necessary. Appealing to the primal emotions within us is the best way to persuade. I appealed to her fear, so she will be holed up in her bedroom, having nightmares of what I have done to her. Quite fitting for what her karma would net her." Richard said. "It's okay to fear me. I'm used to it. And I'm sorry you had to see that side of me. Just... never tell my friends about this time, okay? Gus would have a heart attack if he heard I did this kind of thing again."

Keisuke was even more frightened, hearing the word 'again', as he silently nodded, as Richard turned to Phantomon.

"Ah, I see that you are still here. You honoured your word." Richard said. "I expected you to try and appeal for mercy from any of us."

" **There is no point. I have done what I must, like you have said.** " Phantomon answered back. " **So... What do you intend to do with me?** "

"You will be punished severely, even though there is no law to incriminate Digimon like you in EDEN." Yuugo said, as he had Machinedramon. "My first idea is to have you deleted on the spot for your actions. But.. Hearing what you have said, I want to see if there is a alternative option that I can take."

" **I see... So you wished to provide a death penalty for my serious crime. I understand your reasoning. My crimes have had a significant impact in the lives of several people here. Letting me go would be an invitation for me to increase the number of those affected.** " Phantomon replied back. " **That would be the exact judgement I would receive in the world I came from. But... Before I do so... I want to speak to the one you call Richard.** "

"Yeah? We can talk, Phantomon." Richard said, as he walked in front of the cloaked Digimon.

" **Why exactly do you show me mercy and compassion, when you have shown none to my former partner? Even though everything I have done was from her orders, it was my own ability that has instigated the incidents. And I have declared my intentions to be malicious, before I separated from my partner.** " Phantomon responded back. " **Is it truly because you believe that Digimon are like tools to you, that the intent of the Digimon only depends on the ones that use them? You seem to believe that is the case.** "

"Partially." Richard answered back. "I knew from the look in your eyes that you didn't enjoy any of this a single bit, even though you were forced to, as you said. You were meant to keep the balance of good and evil going, didn't you? Which is why you did what you did before. But why did you suddenly decided to stop your acts of evil, after you encountered us?"

" **Because of you.** " Phantomon answered back. " **You must be quite aware of it, from how you have acted at my attempt to follow my former partner's orders before.** "

Richard grimaced, as he clutched his heart. "So... You have seen that, when you searched my memories back then, did you?"

" **...Indeed. I cannot understand how a human being like you could be consumed by so much dark emotion, and yet have control over it, when you have sealed it far into the deepest recesses of your heart.** " Phantomon nodded slightly. " **And what has caused it... A world of death, destruction, and despair... A world that you have sworn to never see come to life again, after you have experienced it hundreds of times over. By manipulating you, I have done a grave act that is evil beyond what the balance has dictated. And so, I ask to be rightfully punished for what I have done. Strike me down if you wish. My life is of no value anymore, now that those of the light and 'good' will seek to balance the morality of the worlds again.** "

Richard remained silent, before he shook his head. "I refuse." Richard said, as Phantomon let out a surprised grunt. "What you have done would have been truly unforgivable, and I would have mercilessly decimated you even worse than the Dreamin' leader. But you must know that you have done a deed that would be considered truly benevolent. Of all the people you could have masqueraded as, you chose to be Heiwa, so that you could repent for what you have done, if only not fully as you intended. But it's enough, because you have given me new hope and determination to push on, as you have rekindled the flame of kindness, love and hope in me. You may seem evil, but you are capable of good just like the rest."

Phantomon bowed his head in silence, as a single tear leaked from his blue glowing eyes, as it hit the ground.

"For that... I cannot say that you deserve to die. Yuugo is right, there must be an alternative punishment suited for you, one that will force you to not commit more misdeeds, yet still spare your life well." Richard concluded with a smile.

"I have a idea..." Keisuke said. "How about we put Phantomon in stasis? That way, he won't be able to move, but he'll be able to observe the outside world."

"...It's a fair choice." Yuugo said, as he turned to the Phantomon. "Is this the punishment you are willing to undertake?"

" **...A light punishment compared to what I have done, but it is severe enough to punish my actions in breaking the order.** " Phantomon agreed. " **Very well, I am at your mercy then. You have my honoured word that I will not attempt resistance or escape.** "

"...So I don't have to be the bad guy..." Yuugo said to himself. "Come with me then."

Yuugo then left, as Phantomon was following him, leaving the Digital Space together, but only before Phantomon said a few last words to Richard before he left.

" **And one last thing I must inform you about, Richard and Keisuke.** " Phantomon said. " **Treasure the bonds that you have garnered with your partners. I have seen how the two of you have a strong sense of rapport between each other. It was once said that each Digimon has a partner that they are destined to follow. Perhaps... You are your Digimon's very partner in the bond, a bond that will be eternally remembered and held together.** "

He then disappeared with Machinedramon and Yuugo, as Keisuke turned to Richard.

"So... I guess we can leave?" Keisuke asked Richard.

"Yeah, but first, I think that battle must have gave us enough data to Digivolve our Digimon." Richard said. "Let's make a stop to the DigiLab first."

* * *

 _At the DigiLab..._

Richard and Keisuke marvelled at the new forms of their partners, as Richard was smiling at Kuro's new form, which was a BlackWarGreymon, which was a more humanoid version of his previous form, as both of his hands had gauntletted metal claws, and his chest armour now sported yellow tubing that seemed to hold the armour together, and there were armoured greaves on his lower legs, as well as a black back-shield capable of splitting in half vertically into two parts, while Keisuke looked at his HerculesKabuterimon, which seemed be a golden version of the Kabuterimon, except with some features carrying over from his MegaKabuterimon form, including the wings and pelvis stinger.

"Huh... I guess this is the peak of my power..." Kuro said. "It feels quite different than I expected."

"I'm happy that you're happy with this form. We'll have you stay like this for a while." Richard told Kuro, as he patted his leg. "You're a real big boy now. Can't believe you used to be that BlackAgumon that I met before in the first time I ended up in EDEN, unaware of where I was."

"Well, I'm sticking by your side from now on, so don't forget to call for my help if you really need it." Kuro said, as he hugged Richard with both of his hands, as Richard seemed to enjoy it.

"I guess you're my destined partner, no?" Richard said.

"Damn right." Kuro said, as they hugged for a while, as Keisuke was a little confused about how MegaKabuterimon evolved, before he then settled for a feeling of pride for a successful Digivolution of his partner Digimon.


	14. Chapter 13: Maids and K

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 13: Maids and K

* * *

 _In the internet cafe, Hudie..._

Richard, Keisuke, Erika, Ryuji, Gus and Chitose were inside Erika's room, as the other members were merely waiting outside, as they were not included in the meeting, due to the small size of the room.

"We got another job request from ZAXON." Ryuji stated. "It hasn't been long since you have taken on Dreamin', and they need our help again. But first, take a listen to this."

Ryuji then fiddled with his phone, before he laid it on the ground, as Yuugo's prerecorded voice rang out loud to the group.

"Members of Hudie: Here is your next mission." Yuugo stated. "You know that defectors have left ZAXON. Their new hacker team is called the Demons, and Jimmy KEN is their leader. According to information we've obtained from a reliable source, someone is pulling the strings behind the scenes of their betrayal. That person is Rie Kishibe, one of the top executives of Kamishiro Enterprises. That woman may be using the power of hackers to make Kamishiro her own. We want you to get proof of it, in order to bring EDEN back to normal, we have to purge Kamishiro. The first reason is-"

Ryuji then shut his phone off. "That's enough that you all need to hear. He'd just keep on talking." He said. "Long story short, we invade Kamishiro's main server and steal data proving illicit activities on their part. From the Avalon server they are using."

"The Avalon server!? Yuugo's given us another whopper." Chitose spoke, surprised by the monumental task set for the hacker team. "We'll need a insider's account to get in, right? Are they asking us to raid someone's account?"

"Don't worry, there is no need for that." Ryuji said. "Yuugo told us to contact the daughter of the former president, Yuuko Kamishiro. She may be willing to cooperate with us."

Richard suddenly froze, when he heard the name, as he suddenly realised something.

' _Wait... Back at that hospital... I recall that Keisuke had his first meeting with her. But when I was with him then... I didn't even see her shadow... That means... Fuck. This is not good._ ' Richard thought, as sweat beads began to run down his face. ' _Let's only hope that she's as bubbly and friendly as she would have been when we try to gain her account from her..._ '

"I'll leave it Keisuke and Chitose to figure out how to get in touch with her." Ryuji finished off. "Erika, you rest. You need to stop aggravating your own illness by working too long."

"I'm fine, I can at least provide support-" Erika was about to say, before Ryuji cut his hand through the air as a sign of refusal.

"Out of the question." Ryuji strictly stated back, shaking his head, before he then got up. "I've got some minor business to attend to. Let me know when you've got the account."

"Alright." Richard, as he and Gus got up. "Come on, Keisuke, let's go."

Keisuke and Chitose were next to stand up, as the four of them left the room, as Ryuji glared at Erika, as a reminder of what he said before.

Richard then closed the door, as Ryuji left the cafe without another word.

"So... Any ideas how we should do this?" Richard asked. "I don't think that we should be trying to see Yuuko in such a large group. May I make a suggestion?"

"Shoot, Richard." Chitose crossed his arms, and replied.

"I'm going to do some EDEN delving. Try and see if I can stop anything that is causing chaos in EDEN." Richard answered back. "Hell, I might actually strike gold and find my last missing friend, or Fei or Yuugo in one of their missions. Surely either of them would appreciate my arrival."

"But why don't you want to come?" Chitose asked back, before he had a teasing smile. "Don't tell me you're too timid to face a beauty like her?"

' _Does her beauty make it worth having to stomach a whole plate of culinary disaster that could leave a permanent scar in my stomach? Bah, no thanks._ ' Richard bitterly thought back, shaking his head. "Maybe, or it's because I need to cool my head a little since a certain thing has happened to me."

Keisuke paled again, as he knew what Richard was talking about, before he regained the colour in his face quickly before anyone else could notice it.

"If you say so, don't go crying when I come back with one wooed girl!" Chitose chuckled, as he wrapped his arm around Keisuke's neck, before he turned around and left the cafeteria easing Keisuke along with him.

Richard waited for them to leave the internet cafe, before he let out a long sigh of relief.

"Thank god, I'm spared." Richard said, before he then turned to his group. "So, you in? I'm not going to have you grind the areas to Digivolve, since you're powerful enough at this point for your partners to fight with little difficulty against any threats."

"Yeah, I'm in." Antonio said. "Been a while since you took us with you."

"If you can find some digital gems in there." Reimu offered, as she smiled greedily. "They fetch a good price in the black market, so I heard."

"I'll have Aya cover your back. But Richard, why did you have my Digimon named after that tengu photographer? Aya is a pink Biyomon, they're not similar in any way."

"Think about the potential final forms, then ask me again." Richard answered back, as he slipped his EDEN visor on, and logged into EDEN with everyone. "Our first stop is the ZAXON forum. You guys wait for me at the second level of Under Kowloon. I'll meet you guys there."

* * *

 _In the ZAXON forum..._

Richard walked around the forum alone, as he greeted each ZAXON member with a 'Hi.' and a raised hand, as the members were polite and respectful enough to return the gesture, as Richard eavesdropped on the conversations.

"Have you heard of a 'Cyber Sleuth'? I've been hearing that term a lot around Kowloon lately. I wonder what they're like?" A ZAXON member mentioned a circulating EDEN rumour.

' _A group of heroes who have no fucking clue what they even are doing. They're lucky that the plot has rails for them to follow, even though their stupidity attempts to derail them from it. Then again, they did prove effective one way or the others. I only pray that they don't fuck canon up enough for things to go to hell on the drop of a hat._ ' Richard thought to himself with a stifled 'Hmph.'.

He then noticed that Fei was approaching him, as he turned to face the young female hacker. "Ah, Fei. How can I help you?"

"Hey you, I need to talk to you." Fei said, as she guided him to a private spot away from the other hackers. "I need you to help me patrol Under Kowloon. I have been hearing things about disorder stirring up in that place. By the way, where is Keisuke?"

"He's busy with the assignment, making buddy-buddy with Yuuko Kamishiro." Richard answered back casually. "He won't be available for a while, but I can help, on the condition that you let my friends help. They're only aware of the fact that you're our ally."

"Fine, but you must listen to what I have to say." Fei said.

"Deal." Richard agreed without a moment of hesitation. "What are you waiting for? I want to try out Kuro's newest form?"

"Newest form? What are you talking about?" Fei asked back, confused at what Richard was saying.

"Let me show you, rather than tell." Richard answered back, as he smiled. "It'll be more believable this way."

* * *

 _In the second floor of Under Kowloon..._

Richard and Fei walked up to the Level-Beta green fire-wall that was beside the former Level-Alpha yellow firewall that barred the way to Nakano Stripes territory, as the entire group were waiting there, as they saw Fei.

"Alright, now's the time. Come out, Kuro." Richard said, as Kuro appeared in his full height, as Fei looked up, and was surprised to see a Mega Digimon other than Machinedramon before. "So, awed by my Mega Digimon? He's going to kick some ass."

"How did you... manage to do this?" Fei asked in surprised.

"Simple, we did some routine cleaning around here." Reimu answered back. "It's not pretty, but it got the job done."

"Allow me to demonstrate what new power that Kuro has attained." Richard said, as he triggered the fire-wall by shoving his hand through it, engaging it. "Kuro, Dark Terra Force."

"As you wish, Richard." Kuro said, as he raised his arms, as a crimson orb of pure energy appeared in his hands, as it grew and grew, until it was the several times bigger than him, before he then lobbed it at the fire-wall. "You might want to cover your eyes."

Everyone did so, as the ball impacted on the wall, as it unleashed a blinding flash of white light for a moment, before it dissipated to reveal that the firewall was completely obliterated, with a large digital crater the only evidence of its existence, as everyone's jaws were wide-open, as Richard was smirking.

"A Mega is quite powerful. A mere fire-wall at this level wouldn't be a fair fight. Kuro's no ordinary Digimon, he's a real unique Digimon himself." Richard crossed his arms. "If Machinedramon can vaporise anything below Champion with a single use of Infinity Cannon, so can Kuro with Dark Terra Force. Anyway, moving on..."

Richard then walked across the path, as everyone slowly shook off their surprise, as they continued to walk.

On the way to the new area, Fei then turned to Richard.

"I met Yuugo a few years ago, when I was a corporate hacker who only worked for the scratch." Fei recounted her life as a hacker. "In fact, at first I was sent into ZAXON to do surveillance on Yuugo. But as I got to know him, I was filled with a purpose much greater than that. It was because of that even that I became a ZAXON hacker, in body and soul."

"I see. And how did it feel to be with him?" Richard asked.

"I got something important by meeting Yuugo. Since then, my fate has been always in his hands. Not that I care." Fei said. "I'm telling you this, because I trust that you'll be loyal to ZAXON, like your friend Keisuke. If either of you betray us, you'll get yours rightfully. Yuugo is everything to me. If any of you ally with the Demons and stand against Yuugo, even by accident, or with a good reason... I won't forgive you a single bit. You will be stamped out."

"...Then I'll swear that I won't do such a thing, unless I truly must. And I'll make Keisuke swear the same thing." Richard answered back, as he turned to the others. "And as for my friends, they follow me, so there's no way they'll break off to do such a thing, am I right, you all?"

A chorus of agreements sounded from the group, as Richard gestured at them. "See, like I said, they're with me until the end." Richard smiled.

"Geez, I was just teasing you all." Fei chuckled. "You didn't have to be that serious, but it's actually reassuring to hear that from you. I have a soft spot for teasing clumsy people like you, but it's not so fun when you take it too seriously. Don't be too serious all the time, okay?"

"...If that's what you wish." Richard answered back.

As they continued, they saw there were hackers dressed in maid outfits, as they had their Digimon out, ready to fight.

"Just as I suspected. Some wannabe hacker team is trying to muscle into ZAXON territory." Fei muttered under her breath. "Defeat every single one of them. Leave the leader for the last, I'll deal with whoever it is with a few words of my own."

"Alright, Fei!" Sanae said, as they immediately broke up, as they fought against the various hackers scattered in the area, as they seemed to have varying amounts of difficulty, as those with Champion-level Digimon could only delay their fights, or win by a narrow margin, while Gus was winning his battles with ease, and Fei and Richard were tearing anyone that they came across, as Richard merely ordered Kuro to repeatedly used Dark Terra Force to wipe out every single Digimon in the enemy teams, using SP Capsules again and again to recharge Kuro's stamina.

Eventually, after the group had managed to defeat every single maid hacker in the area, they confronted the hacker team's leader, which seemed to have a appearance mostly alike to the female cat-maid he saw in K-Cafe, with the short blonde hair, the cat-ears and the red frilly head-dress on her head, as Richard was a little amused by the similarity, before he saw the hockey mask on her face.

"Hmm... Is that?" The maid hacker said, before she then saw the group. "Oh! Could that be...? Like, it's Fei, the number two of those stupid ZAXONs who just got betrayed by their own buddy! Like sorry, but we can't let you through. We, the Masked Maids, have taken this area for our own."

"Come again?" Fei frowned.

"It must be sooo tough for you ZAXON twerps, what with all the in-fighting." The leader taunted back. "So we'll just take care of this area for you guys. Your turf's been a bit too big for a while now. Honestly, it like realllly pissed me off."

"Ha. You're easy to read. Don't make me laugh." Fei smirked back. "I bet you got carried away riding on the Demons' coattails, but aren't you being a bit naive? That faker, Jimmy KEN, wasn't part of our forces in the first place. Losing someone like that doesn't leave a scratch on us."

"Awww, look at you, trying to act all tough!" The leader fake-gasped, with her hands over where her mouth would be. "Like, do you really understand what's happening right now? I'm telling you to get the heck out of here."

"And we refuse." Reimu answered back, cracking her knuckles.

"Fine with me. I like idiots like you even more than the clumsy ones... When I think about ripping that freaky mask off and messing up the stupid face underneath..." Fei replied as well, as she was smiling cruelly. "My body's getting all hot! Yuugo's a nice guy, see, lately he always stops me right when I get to the good part... Honestly, I'm a little pent up. I'll take out my frustrations on you!"

"And I'd suggest walking away. You must have heard about the rumours of what it took for me to flip the Steam Dealers into sheer insanity." Richard threatened. "I'd be smart and just walk away, otherwise... things won't get pretty."

"The Steam Dealers, wait... Are you... No, it can't be!?" The leader said, as she suddenly began to tremble in fear, as her voice began to shake. "You... You're Kage, the Torturing Shadow, Kage of Hudie!?"

"And what if I am?" Richard asked back, as he summoned Kuro. "I've lately got a upgrade, so come at me if you dare, I'll floor you and your Digimon in a instant."

"Eeeeeek! Like, I'm soooorrrryyyy!" The maid screamed, as she ran off, her rebellious spirit disappearing all the sudden from her fear of Richard, as Fei looked at Richard.

"Man, you must have done some messed-up things to the Steam Dealers, if they're literally too scared to go on EDEN." Fei said.

"Wait, Steam Dealers?" Sanae asked. "Isn't that one the one where Chitose created the... oh dear."

"Chitose wasn't up for the mic, so I had to improvise." Richard answered back, as he shrugged. "Not one of my proud moments, but it worked in a overly-effective way. Steam Dealers were running away like pussies, the leader was begging for mercy, Keisuke was vomiting, Ryuji was actually scared of me for the moment, and Chitose was pale as hell. I think I overdid it."

Fei only cringed at the description. "Well, if that rumour is what is preventing this idiots from ruining EDEN so much..." She said. "It's worth it, since I'll have more time with Yuugo, than dealing with these annoying pests. By the way, when we're dismantling the Demons for their treachery, don't interfere. This is a personal matter that is only to be resolved by ZAXON, as a warning to the other teams about believing we're weak from the betrayal."

Fei then left, as Richard noticed that his Digivice was ringing, as Richard picked up the call.

"I've manage to do it. Although the details of how I did it is... best left unremembered, I managed to get Yuuko's account, placed the malware on the Avalon server of the Kamishiro digital servers. And I've met Rie Kishibe. She's just as shady as Suedou, and much more loose-headed and eccentric than him." Keisuke called over. "Meet me back in the real world, we've got things to do."

"Got that. See you there." Richard answered back, as he ended the call on his side.

They soon left EDEN, as their trip was much more peaceful than their battles with the maids before.

* * *

 _In the Internet Cafe, Hudie..._

Richard logged out, as he headed over to where Keisuke is.

"Alright, what is it that we have to do?" Richard answered back.

"See for yourself." Keisuke answered back, as he showed that the Bulletin Board was filled with important requests and cases, as Richard literally clenched his jaws shut at the sheer amount of cases there is to be solved.

"Well, fuck..." Richard swore. "I guess this will be all we will be doing for the entire day?"

"I can only say that things are going to get more complicated sooner or later." Keisuke answered back. "What's your take on this?"

"In Rome, do what the Romans do." Richard spoke in a calm tone, as he cracked his knuckles. "Alright, Keisuke, I want you to see you flash those neurons in your mind. We're going to binge every request until there is no more left. Better get yourself some refreshments, because we're in for a long ride."

* * *

 _After a long day filled with Digimon, cases, crazed people and meeting familiar faces..._

Richard was hunched over on the table, as he was completely exhausted, as his friends were in the same state, as Antonio was gulping down cup after cup of water, and Reimu and Sanae were on the ground, resting their heads against the wall, and Gus was sitting down on the ground, resting his head on the back of Richard's swivelling chair.

"Holler if you're dead-tired..." Richard moaned like a zombie, slowly and deeply.

His replies were a chorus of groans and grunts, as Keisuke was a part of it, as he was resting his head on the booth's table, with his arms crossed in front of it, flat against the table surface.

"By the way, Richard... I forgot to tell you something." Keisuke spoke slowly in a groan. "I've finally found out what Erika's treatment is, she basically have a computer that she uses as a memory storage server, so that she can empty her head from having too much information, that could trigger the illness. It's also the reason why she's a hacker prodigy, because her memory is far more superior than that of even the best of people when it comes to memory."

"A hybrid born of human and technology." Richard responded back, with a few dry chuckles. "Hilarious, she might as well be an android."

"By the way, I'll soon have to meet K." Keisuke said. "But considering what Chitose told me, I'd think that I better have any of you guys as back-up. If K tries anything funny, I want you to help me stop him on his tracks, alright?"

"Consider it done. I've got enough processing power to use the Stealth Hide skill. It should keep me hidden even from whatever eyes he has." Richard answered back, as he yawned. "And don't bother with the others. I'm used to this, so I'm the most fit person at this situation. And you forget that Kuro's now a BlackWarGreymon. He'll laugh off anything that shady hacker might throw at us. But let's rest for a while, then we go and do that, okay?"

Keisuke let out a 'Un!' in response, clarifying his agreement.

* * *

 _At the Demon's Den..._

Keisuke was hiding behind one of the marble pillars inside the forum, as he was making sure that he wasn't seen by any of the Demons members, especially Jimmy KEN, who was belting off rock music lyrics of his own creation on the top of his lungs. Keisuke also looked around, as he was also looking for any ZAXON double-agents, who were preparing to get the message over to Yuugo, Fei and other higher-ups in ZAXON, to storm the place and destroy the Demons on the drop of a hat.

"Don't you find it ridiculous?" A distorted male voice rang in his ears, as he recognised the voice, and turned around to face a male avatar dressed in red jeans, a long grey trench-coat with a hoodie that he was wearing and a black shirt with a vertical red-stripe on the right side, and a white mask with slitted eyes, and curved symbols on the cheeks and the left eye of the accessory. "I'm talking about Jimmy KEN. Gathering spectators by force, and getting drunk on false adoration."

"You're K, aren't you?" Keisuke responded back.

"Got it in one. I'm K, and I am glad to finally meet you." K said with a mock bow. "By the look on your face, you want to know my goals. Straight to the point, aren't you? Guess you don't have much time to enjoy a conversation. But before I answer that, what do you think of that man? Go on, take a look at him."

Keisuke then turned his head to Jimmy KEN, who was strumming a guitar with a wild expression.

"In EDEN, he's a rockstar who shines on the stage, but in the real world, he's just a timid little coward." K stated. "So which one do you think is the real 'him'? What happens in the virtual world isn't 'real' per se, it's just a sham. That's what people saw. And yet, now people spend most of their time here, in EDEN. The information they get coming and going from it makes up the majority of their lives. In that case, isn't the form they take on in this virtual world the 'real' one to others?"

"And what's your point? I believe that it is partially both." Keisuke responded back. "EDEN gives people a false sense of innovation and courage, to allow their true selves to come out of the shell that binds them to the real world, but the opposite is sometimes true. I acknowledge both forms of the people here, and I refuse to say that it is solely one identity that makes up the entirety of a person in existence."

"Hmph. So you say." K scoffed. "No matter how ridiculous it may be, the power acquired here in EDEN may affect reality. Then, people can take their ideal forms only seen in EDEN in their real lives. That clown is a good example of this. I mean, he's gotta work on his endgame."

' _Heh. Just keep on talking... I'll be on your ass the minute you try to turn tail and run-_ ' Richard thought, as he was hidden behind K, as he was breathing quietly enough that the hacker never had a chance to even know of his presence.

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion, as the three participants of the conversation turned their heads to the source, as they saw a red-haired girl with twin-tailed hair, and a pink jacket with a blue blouse under it, ordering the very same Agumon and Gabumon that Keisuke saved from Youji Shiga from the start of his hacking career, as Richard saw that David was also there, along with his posse of heroes from various different universes, as he noticed some new faces.

' _Oh, right. This is the moment where Aiba and Nokia hand Jimmy KEN's ass to him._ ' Richard thought, as he turned back to K and Keisuke. ' _Either way, with them focused on dealing with the Demons, it would be the perfect time to jump K when he tries to spring whatever trap he has in mind._ '

"It looks like that the ZAXONs aren't the only hackers going after Jimmy KEN." K noted. "That guy had no idea about the strings twisted around his limbs. It's time for the clown to make an exit... stage left. He outlived his usefulness as a puppet leader. The true leader of the Demons is... me."

K then chuckled, as Keisuke was shocked by the revelation. "He was a good name on the marquee, I'll give him that. I left him the task of taking centre stage. But things are different now. It's time for Demons... for all hackers to fall under my command. Now, EDEN's hackers are all in a state of turmoil, so easily confused about what 'justice' to follow, what 'values' to uphold. Stupid adults are easily set adrift and manipulated with scattered information. I will be the one to show those hackers the way. I will seize the Demons, subjugate ZAXON, unite all the teams in EDEN and stand at the pinnacle of all hackers."

"You..." Keisuke stated. "You must be insane-"

"You asked me who I am, didn't you? Let me turn those words back on you." K asked back. "Who exactly are YOU? Are you truly Keisuke Amazama? Haven't you ever questioned it? Not once?"

"What are you saying? Don't try to set me aside with those lies!" Keisuke replied back angrily.

"Your avatar and account are borrowed. In this virtual world where you can be digitised and faked, how could you verify you're yourself?" K continued, not caring for what Keisuke had to say. "Your consciousness could just be a brain floating in a jar in the real world. The spread of EDEN's systems has made things even more unclear. The memory digitisation everyone undergoes without question may even shake the foundation of what we consider 'consciousness'. Think about it: Is it really possible for you to be 'you' in EDEN? The shape you take in EDEN, or the form you have in the real world... which is truly 'you'?"

"Don't bother confusing him." Richard said, as he walked towards K. "He's real alright. In fact, you should be asking the very same question to me. And my answer? The former, as of now."

"You came through all of this out of concern for him? How touching and worthy of a friend." K mused, as he was being surrounded by both of them.

"Enough talk, we heard of your plans. The Demons are finished one way or the other." Richard replied back. "Your little scheme will never come to light. It's the end of your pathetic ambition."

"Hah! Do you think this would stop me? Allow me to give you what you deserve for breaking your promise and bringing troublemakers along." K barked, as he snapped his fingers, as a Airdramon, and a Raremon. "Keisuke, you should think long and hard of who you are. I'll send more criminal intel when I feel like it. It'll be a shortcut to get you to the truth, and I did promise you that, even when you betrayed my expectations. Ta-ta."

"Don't you dare run you-!" Richard roared, as he was about to chase after K, before the Raremon lunged at him, forcing him to back away, as the masked hacker disappeared from the forum. "Damn you... Kuro!"

Richard then summoned Kuro, who immediately used his Volkenapalm to silently execute the two wild Digimon with single blows, as Keisuke didn't even have to call out HerculesKabuterimon to help with the battle.

"He's more than he looks, Keisuke... Controlling his Digimon with neither Digivice or direct orders..." Richard said. "He is not some simple avatar in a server."

He then noticed that Yuugo and Fei already arrived, as they have forced every single Demons member into logging out, before Yuugo slammed his fist into Jimiken's gut, who left with a final cry of 'Rock'n'roll!' as he faded into data.

"...We're done here..." Richard said, he glared at David. "Let's go."

They both left, as they planned to either hunt down K, or continue to delve into the situations that are currently happening, especially with trying to find the next person suspect for the theft of Keisuke's account.


	15. Chapter 14: Sistermon Trio

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 14: Sistermon Trio

* * *

 _In the internet cafe, Hudie..._

Richard and Keisuke both logged out, as they noticed that the rest of the group had finished resting up, as Richard was quite happy that his friends had finished resting.

"How did the meeting go?" Gus asked. "Did you manage to get a few things?"

"No, K tried to instigate a existential crisis in Keisuke. Called his bullshit, and then he ran away leaving some Digimon who tried to maul us." Richard answered back with a flick of his hand. "Didn't even need to use Kuro's Dark Terra Force to destroy them effortlessly. Such is the difference between a Mega like BlackWarGreymon and Champion Digimon."

"So he was playing around with Keisuke. Man, that really sucks." Antonio sighed.

Keisuke then checked the Bulletin Board, as he found a request that was sent by a Digimon. It was a request for help in a gym reserved for Digimon called the 'Noir and Blanc's Digimon Gym', as they are located in Kowloon's third level, as Keisuke raised a hand to call for the attention of the nearby people.

"Hey, I got a request from a Digimon named Noir, who wants to meet us somewhere in Kowloon's third level." Keisuke announced to everyone.

Richard immediately jolted still, as he suddenly remembered who the 'Noir' is.

"Is... Is that so?" Richard asked back in a stiff tone. "If you're going... I'm coming with you."

"Oh, I know that look..." Sanae said, as she had a teasing smirk on her face. "You're worried about seeing the Sistermons, and letting your inner adoration embarrass yourself in front of such Digimon. But the reason you didn't say no, is because you're still bound by your promise to stand by Keisuke when possible, right?"

"Wh-What are you saying, Sanae!?" Richard asked back, a little flustered. "You know full well that I'm very much in control of 'those' emotions! I'm not afraid! I'm just a little... nervous, that's all."

"Don't worry, we'll be there to back you up if you suddenly break down in a blush, and fumble your words!" Gus assured Richard with a kind smile.

"No! Gus! I'm not going to-!" Richard tried to say, as he became more agitated, before he then cupped his face through his hands, as he tried to hide his conflicted expression. 'Ffffuuuuuu...!"

"Uh... What are you all talking about?" Keisuke asked, as he didn't seem to get what is causing Richard to suddenly be all flustered.

"Well... Richard here is a little bit of a lolicon, except it's very much minus the sexual desire part, replaced with a urge to cuddle and pet all things cute and adorable. He's also got a good resistance against doing the typical perverted nose-bleed, but there are several occasions that it's possible, if the beauty or adorableness is far out of the charts." Antonio explained. "As for why it's the reason that Richard was being like this, regarding the request... Don't know but I can hazard a guess. Perhaps the Digimon who sent this request might be one hell of a cutie?"

"Uh... Should I see for myself, before I make any judgement regarding this?" Keisuke asked, as he sweat-dropped at how he just found out about one of Richard's more awkward sides.

"Sure, you'll see what we mean by that." Reimu nodded.

"Alright, talking's done! We're logging in! The sooner we get this done, the sooner that we can forget all of this talk!" Richard said in a hasty tone, as he sat down, and logged into EDEN, as the rest of the group followed with him, as Keisuke did the same.

* * *

 _In the third level of Kowloon..._

As the entire group landed in the floor, they looked around, as they explored the floor, as they fought off the wild Digimon that attempted to ambush them as usual, with the Digimon partners making short work of the untrained and wild Digimon.

When they arrived at a small circular field, the group looked around, as there was gym gear and all kinds of equipment, as well as some refreshment machines scattered around the field, as Keisuke and Richard looked at each other.

"This has to be the place, right?" Richard said. "Look at all this stuff, it'd be more than just a mere prank to do something at this level."

"Yeah, I feel the same." Keisuke replied, as Kuro looked around, as he lifted a few dumbbells, which seemed to be too light for him.

"Hm... It's a shame that I didn't have this when I was a Champion Level Digimon. I'm too strong and big for any of this." Kuro sighed, disappointed at how there was nothing to train him there, before he turned to the other Digimon partners who were still at Champion Level. "But this might be good for all of you. Especially you, Ran, with all the talk of serving your 'holy maiden', Reimu. Got to be strong if you want to please your partner."

"I... I am aware of this, Kuro." Ran answered back. "But I know not the methods of how I could train like this. Perhaps I can consult the master or mistress of this training place, so that I can learn them."

"Me too!" Bolt cried as well. "I can't wait to work out and see if I'll get to Digivolve like Kuro and Sun did, except that I can get a much more cooler form!"

Richard and Sanae both chuckled at that statement, before they then heard voices call out from the entrance.

"Come one, come all! Step right up and have a look!" A vigorous young female voice rang.

"Come and see!" A more innocent and childish voice called, with a sense of good mannerisms in it.

They then turned to see a pair of Digimon, which seemed to look like human girls, except they were dressed in attires that are not like that of any avatar. One of them wore a tight-black dress with a sectioned skirt, black high-heel boots, a white nun-headdress over her head, as well as a headdress called the klobuk with a cute black cat's head with two round black eyes over her head as well, hanging from the sides with frills on the ends. She also had short grey hair that was covered mostly by the headdress, and also had pistols holstered to the sides of her hip. The other was dressed in a white and more loose version of the dress of her partner, as her high-heeled boots were noticeably shorter compared to her partner's, and she only had a pink-white klobuk that had feathered ends, as well the head of a cute bunny with the spherical round black eyes, and a pouty cute mouth on it. The only feature that the two shared were their grey eyes.

"The Sistermon Sisters Digimon Gym is now open!" The black Digimon girl declared with a energetic tone. "And to mark the occasion, we have an amazing special offer! We're giving away our Love Punch absolutely free! Come and feel our punch!"

Sanae then turned to Richard with a 'are you serious?' expression, as Richard noticed what he was getting into too late. "Oy, Richard. You forgot that Sistermon Noir is more than capable of messing any of you guys up with her Love Punch, right?"

"Yeah... That only means more the reason why I shouldn't show that kind of display in front of them." Richard answered back, as he gulped audibly.

The duo then turned to the group, as they noticed them, as her animal klobuk mirrored her surprised expression with wide eyes, shocking everyone except Richard and Sanae, who knew of the trick behind the klobuk of the Sistermons.

"Wha- What the!? Did that... hat just express the same expression its wearer was showing!?" Antonio exclaimed. "Holy... This really takes the cake for 'weird' for me!"

"Hey there! You interested in training!?" The black girl asked the group with a finger pointed at them. "You all look like you want us to really put you through your paces! And is that Digimon you've got there!? How about training your Digimon in our gym!? And we'll even double the power of our Love Punch as a special offer!"

Richard was frozen, as he was captivated by the pure adorableness that the Sistermon were showing off, as the white one seemed to be smiling so meekly that it only enhanced her pure and innocent image to him, as he was straining to keep his blush down, as well as any signs that would betray his inner feelings.

' _So... So... Damn cute! No... I can't afford to let myself fall to their massive charisma. I've seen cute In-Training Digimons, like Sun in his Koromon form from the start..._ ' Richard thought to himself. ' _It's nothing different with this girls, even if they're dressed up with such pure cuteness... And I have a deterrent, that Sistermon Noir is savage if she's not properly talked to, so get your act together Richard, or the only blood coming out is from one of her Love Punches!_ '

"Love Punch? Is that a type of endurance training only enabled for those who want to test their extreme limits?" Kuro asked, before he grinned. "I'll be glad to see what you have got. I've haven't gotten proper training ever since I became a Mega Level Digimon."

Richard immediately reached his hand out, to stop Kuro from running into something he might not be prepared for, as Richard coughed into his hand, as he regained his composure.

"No thanks. We're actually here from a request from a certain person named Noir, who is requesting for help for your gym." Richard spoke calmly. "I take you you're her?"

"Ah, you must be the guys we hired from Hudie then! We're looking for handymen!" The black girl responded back, as she turned to her pink-white partner. "We didn't think anyone would accept a case from Digimon, but there was no harm in trying. Isn't that right, Blanc?"

"Right. Thank you for accepting our case." Blanc answered back, as she bowed gently, as her rabbit klobuk did a cute smiling emote, with eye-smiles, which caused Richard to let out a few groans, as he restrained himself.

' _A critical blow... Must... continue..._ ' Richard internally thought, as he nodded. "We of Hudie accept any case, whether its client is Digimon or human, wolf or rabbit, anyone who has a request, we will answer them with our best of capabilities." He answered back with a warm smile.

"Glad to hear that! I'm Sistermon Noir!" The black girl introduced herself, as she pointed to Blanc next. "This is my younger sister, Sistermon Blanc! We're pretty well known in the Digital World, so you should be honoured to help us!"

The Digimon in the group looked at each other, as they had no idea who Blanc and Noir were, which the sisters noticed, as Richard quickly tried to defuse the situation before it ends up causing problems.

"My apologies." Richard answered back. "These Digimon aren't exactly from the Digital World, so to say. They're actually born here, evolved as our partners. They wouldn't know anything about the Digital World and its inhabitants, so I apologise if this agitates you. I'm sure that we'll be glad to help you both regardless, so don't either of you worry about us leaving the job undone."

"You're so polite and kind! And I'm actually surprised that you managed to get someone as buff and strong as this handsome Digimon here!" Noir complimented both avatar and partner, as Kuro blushed a little from the compliment.

"You really... think that way about me?" Kuro asked back.

"Noir, you should explain everything first, or they won't know what to do." Blanc reminded her sister.

"Ah, that's right!" Noir exclaimed, as her klobuk gave off a surprised face again, as she slammed a fist into her other hand in realisation of her words getting off track from the topic at hand. "We only recently arrived at this world. Gankoomon and his protege Hackmon are travelling around the Digital World on a quest to become the most powerful Digimon of all. We were travelling with them, but we got separated and lost our way!"

"Yeah, and then we suddenly realised we were in this world." Blanc continued from where her sister left off, before she then displayed a worried expression, as her bunny klobuk expressed a crying face. "I wonder what they're doing right now. I hope Hackmon's training is going well."

"Most powerful, eh?" Kuro said, as he chuckled to himself. "Well, he's going to have a lot of competition there. And I'm one part of it."

"Kuro, don't be a jerk." Richard sternly warned his partner with a glare, before he turned back. "Don't worry, you might eventually see them again."

"Well, anyways, we're trying to find a way back to our world." Noir responded back. "But it's taking ages. It's so dull and boring. And we haven't got any money. We're going crazy!"

"Noir, 'dull' and 'boring' mean the same thing." Blanc pouted at her sister's mistake.

"Whatever! There seem to be other Digimon in EDEN, so we had the idea of opening up a training gym! Isn't that right, Blanc?" Noir replied back.

"Yeah, weak Digimon can come here to toughen up." Blanc confirmed the idea, as she smiled again, as her klobuk smiled as well.

"We're expecting our first customers any time now!" Noir stated with a puffed-up chest in pride, before she then dejectedly sighed, as she deflated down again. "But there's one small problem. We know how strong we are, but we look too cute."

' _That's a understatement... I'm using all of my willpower right now to not glomp you... Being in Gensokyo with all those girls... does not help with that._ ' Richard thought in agreement, as he nodded. "So my guess is that you need someone to act as the serious guy, so that all those who come will take the gym seriously?" He asked.

"Yep! An tough-looking lackey is sure to present an image of strength to our customers!" Noir declared with a smile, mirrored by her cat klobuk. "And with that big hunk of a Digimon with you, you're surely going to succeed! And look at all the others! They look perfect for the job of showing the potential results of the gym! Champions, Ultimates, even Megas galore!"

"Well, if that's what it'll take, I'll be happy to lend Kuro for you guys." Richard answered back, as he turned to the other members. "What say you guys? Care to lend your Digimon for the success of this gym?"

"Of course." Gus answered back. "Sun would be more believable than Kuro, when it comes to showing results, no offence, Kuro or you, Richard."

"If it'll make things good." Antonio said.

"If the job will get me richer. I want a small share of the profits that could possibly be gained." Reimu gave her answer.

"Well... Actually, Aya will have to pass." Sanae said, as she recalled the Biyomon. "But we can try training here, so that she can get a Champion Level form soon."

"Great!" Noir said, before she then noticed some people coming, as she gestured for the others to move. "Places, everyone! Try to get your Digimon working in the gym! We'll only have that guy Kuro standing beside us as our example!"

Everyone voiced their agreement, as Ran immediately went to working her attacks on a nearby training dummy, Bolt was using the digital treadmill machine to practice his speed, as he was sprinting with his four legs at a brisk pace, Sun was doing claw-attacks on a swinging punching bag, often landing hits. HerculesKabuterimon was flying around the area, as he was doing various flight manoeuvres. While the Digimon worked, their partners cheered them on with encouraging words and shouts. Richard and Kuro was standing beside the two Sistermons, as the Digmon-human duo had their arms crossed.

The figures soon came to view, as it was revealed to be the very same Agumon and Gabumon, as well as their red-haired human partner, as they looked at the gym, as well as the scenes unfolding in it.

"Nokia, is this the training gym?" The Agumon asked, before he then noticed Kuro. "And why do I feel like that I have met that BlackWarGreymon before?"

"Yeah, and I heard the trainers are really famous!" Nokia told both of her Digimon partners. "Looks like there's a special offer? Maybe we'll get something free? How exciting, Agumon, Gabumon!"

"I hope it's food!" Gabumon cried, as he was jumping in excitement

"Me too!" Agumon said, as he joined his companion in jumping, as Nokia only face-palmed at the sight of her partner Digimons thinking only of food.

"You two are so greedy." Nokia scolded them both. "You came here to train, not eat! What if another hacker attacked us and stole you? You need to make yourselves powerful and strong!"

"Yeah!" Agumon and Gabumon simultaneously chanted.

They walked up to Blanc, Noir, Richard and Kuro, as Kuro looked down at Agumon and Gabumon.

"There you are! We've been expecting you." Noir said.

"Who are you?" Nokia asked.

"Hehehe... Listen up. They were born in the Digital World." Noir said, as she clutched Blanc's hands, as they twirled and spun around them.

"Since they were born, it had just the two sisters against the world, yet they somehow survived." Blanc spoke in a dramatic and foreboding tone.

"Then one day, they met their saviour!" Noir shouted, as she lifted her hands into the air like a eruption. "Quake! Blast! Fire! Father! His name, GANKOOMON!"

"No longer alone on the streets, the sisters looked up to him as a teacher." Blanc continued the dramatic dialogue.

"Very soon, the sisters became highly skilled! Their names are known far and wide!" Noir declared, as Blanc then lifted her arms up, as they spoke as one. "WE ARE THE SISTERMON SISTERS!"

Nokia was impressed by the dramatic speech, as she clapped her hands in applause, before the sisters put their hands down, as Blanc smiled.

"Welcome to our gym, Nokia Shiramine, Agumon and Gabumon." Blanc welcomed them properly.

"Today, the Sistermon sisters and their star member, Richard and Kuro, will put you through a rigorous training program!" Noir stated.

"Richard?" Agumon asked.

"Kuro?" Gabumon asked as well, before they then remembered Richard and Kuro from the time Keisuke rescued them, while Richard and Noir fought off their kidnapper, Youji Shiga.

"Could it be!?" Agumon and Gabumon spoke at the same time, as they stared at Kuro with wide eyes, as the BlackWarGreymon was smiling widely.

"It's a small world. I'm actually surprised that neither of you have Digivolved yet." Kuro stated with a chuckle. "Perhaps your partner might have something special that allows you to Digivolve for battle? My partner, Richard treated me well. I'm far beyond the BlackAgumon that you knew me as before, because he has trained me well."

"Wait... you know them, Agumon, Gabumon?" Nokia asked her partner Digimons.

"Of course! He was one of the people who helped us be free, before you and David found us!" Agumon said. "Kuro's really brave, because he fought against the Golemon that Shiga had. I didn't know what happened there, but I bet Kuro won. And then there's Keisuke, who helped us escape by distracting Shiga!"

Gabumon pointed at Keisuke, who didn't notice them, as Nokia was surprised to see that Keisuke was wearing the Hudie coat.

"Barely. It was a fight I was not proud of." Kuro answered back in response. "But now that I'm a Mega, there's nothing I know of yet that will ever give me trouble again."

Nokia then looked back, as she was captivated by the cuteness of the Sistermons, as she proved to be less resilient to their charms, as she stopped still.

"Squee." Nokia stated dryly.

"Squee?" The Sistermon asked, before Nokia's inner lolicon reared up, as her cheeks blushed red, as she was clutching the sides of her head with her hands, as her expression was of pure joy and adoration.

"Sqqquuuuuueeeee!" Nokia squealed with joy. "The instructors are Digimon!? I thought all Digimon looked like Agumon and Gabumon, but there are so many types!? Come here, and let big sis hug you!"

Nokia surged forth, as she immediately tackle-hugged Blanc, as the pink-white girl let out a surprised cry, as she was pushed against Nokia's chest, as the larger and taller girl was nuzzling her so warmly and lovingly.

"Nnnnggghhhhaaaa! Stop! Please let go!" Blanc pleaded, as her cries were drowned by Nokia's pleasured moans and coos.

"How could I take something as cute as you two so seriously? Come on, let me give you a great big hug!" Nokia stated with euphoria.

"What the... Let go of my sister, you crazy lady!" Noir declared, as Richard's willpower was being whittled by watching Nokia nuzzle Blanc in such a teasing way, tempting Richard to let go.

' _Inner peace... Inner peace... Inner peac- FUCK IT!_ ' Richard thought, before the last of his restraints broke apart in his mind, as he rushed at the unaware Noir. ' _I can't let my opportunity run away, consequences be damned!_ '

"What are you-" Noir was about to say, as she turned and faced Richard, only too late, as he already was too close for her to dodge, as Richard grabbed her, and hugged her tightly. "Hey! HEY! Let me go!"

Noir thrashed about, as Richard was hugging her with a blissful expression.

"I'm so sorry, Sistermon Noir, but I just can't take it anymore! I tried my best to resist the siren's call in my mind to hug a cutie like you so badly, even when you wouldn't like it! I really tried, but the call of moe is too great! IT LUSTS!" Richard cried back, as he was apologetic and blissful at the same time. "Forgive me for this, I'll make up for it by ensuring that Nokia will pay for the training!"

"I don't want that now! Just stop, please!" Noir cried.

"Just a little longer... Please... I'm so desperate for a cute girl to hug so badly!" Richard pleaded without his usual calm attitude.

"NOOOO!" Noir yelled, as she was unable to break free of the hug, subject to the same fate as her sister, to be hugged and nuzzled for a long time.

After a while, Nokia and Richard let go of their respective Sistermon, as they fell to the ground, completely spent.

"Finally... I can die with no regrets..." Richard sighed with a satisfied expression. "See, Noir, I kept my promise."

"So much moenesss... So much fluff... Ohohoho..." Nokia breathed.

They then got up, as with the urge to worship the cuteness of the Sistermon were gone, they reverted back to their usual personalities.

"Surely you're going to have us spar with Richard and Kuro, right?" Nokia asked. "You're both adorable, but you don't look very tough."

"Hmph. Our appearance is something of a curse." Noir pouted back. "Don't underestimate us because of how we look! You only caught us off-guard back then!"

"If you put in the work and stick with the program right to the end, you might actually become stronger." Blanc advised Agumon and Gabumon.

"Well, we won't go easy on you two!" Noir exclaimed in a determined tone. "I'll have Kuro as a extra exercise if you manage to beat us! Are you sure about this!?"

"Wow! You're adorable, but so full of life!" Nokia exclaimed with starry eyes. "Although if we don't see this through, we'll be weak forever! We're in your capable hands! Put us through our paces!"

"That's the spirit! Blanc!" Noir replied back, as she pulled out her twin pistols, as Blanc summoned a small golden trident in her hands.

"Are you ready? Okay, show us what you got!" Blanc said.

"Better not end up as disappointments!" Kuro said. "I've got high hopes you'll break through and achieve victory, you small buggers!"

The four Digimon traded blows, as Noir fired off bullets from her guns 'Anthony', often using Mickey Bullet, a move where she fired off a cone of bullets around her, and Bless Fire, a skill where she fired off twin glowing bullets at her targets, while Blacn swung her trident with skill and power, as she often used Divine Pierce, a thrust attack where her trident would glow, as her thrust would grow in size, range and power for that single strike. Eventually, under the great power of the Sistermons, Agumon and Gabumon were defeated, as they fell on their bottoms.

"What's the matter!? Get back on your feet!" Noir ordered the two Rookie Digimon.

"Uuurgh..." Agumon groaned.

"I.. I'm done." Gabumon panted.

"Agumon...! Gabumon...!" Nokia said, as she was worried about them, as she glared at Noir. "That's enough! Don't go so hard with them! Can't you slow things down a little!?"

"But it looks likes you're the reason they're so weak, Nokia." Blanc stated, as Nokia was shocked by the harsh statement.

"What? Me?" Nokia asked, surprised.

"Yeah, you don't love them enough!" Noir answered back, with her hands on her hips. "You just think of yourself as someone who supports your Digimon from behind the scenes. You see the Digimon as the stars, and yourself as nothing more than a bit player."

"But supporting them is all I can do..." Nokia muttered back.

"Wrong." Richard stated, as Nokia turned to him with wide-open eyes. "When it comes to battle between Digimon, it is the bond between Digimon and partner that defines the true strength of the Digimon. Noir was right, you don't see yourself as their equal. Without you, Agumon and Gabumon would be far weaker than they are. The reason they haven't tapped into their actual power, is because they're worried that you don't trust them as much. Kuro became stronger not only because he got stronger from gaining data from the defeated Digimon, and experiencing battle, but also because he felt my friendship and bond between the two of us, as it allowed us to fight as one, and be stronger than what either of us could be. So, Nokia, express what you truly feel about Agumon and Gabumon, show them that you truly care for them, as if they were the world to you."

"You're right... Love isn't something you show with words... But something that you show in your belief in your partners..." Nokia said, as she walked over to Agumon and Gabumon, before embracing them both in a hug. "I'm sorry. I should have done better for you both. I was holding you back all along, because I didn't truly believe in you. Even if you would stay like this forever, I would still support both of you. Because that is what we promised. We will never be weak, as long as we have each other, right?"

"Nokia..." Agumon whimpered, as a tear gathered in his eye.

"Oh, look alive, you two! Our training is just getting started! Show these girls that we mean business!" Nokia stated with a great beaming smile. "No matter how many times you fail, I'll be right there, sending you my love and trust without any fault!"

"I don't understand what you mean, but... your love... it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy!" Gabumon replied back. "I feel stronger already hearing those words from you, Nokia!"

Suddenly, Agumon and Gabumon glowed, as they transformed into Greymon and Garurumon, as Bolt noticed this, as he hopped off the treadmill, as he whistled.

"Well now, looks like you're in the big leagues now, kid." Bolt stated with a wolf-like grin.

"You... You're Greymon and Garurumon now?" Nokia said.

"It's Digivoluton! Proof that your Digimon are developing!" Noir said, as she smiled.

"It proves your love has reached them!" Blanc added.

"Wow..." Nokia said. "So this is Digivolution..."

"Now we can fight again! Let's show them our true power together!" Greymon growled.

"Heh. I never thought you could show love like that. Humans are really strange creatures, but it works!" Noir smirked. "This time, let's not hold back, Blanc!"

"Okay!" Blanc exclaimed back, as she reequipped her golden trident spear.

"This time, we want you to support Nokia, Richard." Noir told Richard. "Just not too much, because we want to make it just fair. Because we're going to be serious, as we take our strongest forms to push them to their limits!"

"Alright. Kuro. Basic attacks only." Richard ordered his partner. "That should be enough to prolong the fight for Greymon and Garurumon to contribute, right?"

"Hmph. I like to see what they really got." Kuro said, as he moved beside Greymon and Garurumon.

Noir and Blanc then suddenly transformed, as they disappeared in flashes of black and pink light, before they were revealed to be in a entirely different form, grown to the size of adult women, as well as their animal klobuk now covered their faces, as Noir's eyes were yellow, and Blanc's eyes were white.

"So this is your true form." Richard commented, as he smiled. "Nokia, you better not mess with these girls, they're serious now!"

"We won't hold back this time!" Blanc stated, as her tone changed from a innocent one to a very hot-blooded one, as she howled. "You going to show us just how strong you are now!? Bring it on! Let's see what you're made of!"

"This is my sister's killing instinct, that is hidden within her for so long." Noir added. "Now that she and I are in our Awakened Forms, all of it inside both of us is flaring out in a display of power! Sure you got what it takes?"

"You were holding back before!? Then I'll be serious as well!" Nokia declared back. "We're nothing like we were before! We'll show you that even without Kuro's help for too long, that we can still beat you!"

A long and tedious battle ensued, as the Awakened Sistermon proved to be stronger than they were before, speedier and more deadly in their strikes. Often, their strikes would scratch and dent Kuro's metallic armour, although the attacks did have an effect on him, wearing him out, as he didn't do much to damage the Sistermons, while Greymon and Garurumon continued to attack back with fervour, before both sides fell in defeat, with Nokia's pair winning the battle barely, exhausted from battle, even Kuro.

"You'v really come along, Nokia Shiramine, Greymon, and Garurumon." Noir complimented them for their victory. "Even with our friend Kuro only just using simple swipes in self-defence, and acting as your shield, you won against us fairly. That's what I call ultimate loyalty there, hehehe..."

"Greymon, Garurumon, you're all awesome back there!" Nokia shouted in excitement. "I'm happy, but also a little sad, since I liked you how you were before."

"Really, in that case..." Greymon said, before they glowed, as they reverted back into Agumon and Gabumon. "We'll change back. It takes a lot more energy to fight in that form. So this one is much more comfortable, and besides, it would be dangerous to play with you in that form as well."

"I agree." Gabumon voiced his opinion.

"Haha, yeah. I could imagine." Nokia chuckled. "Thank you, both of you."

"You've changed back so easily. It took us a lot of training before we mastered that skill." Noir stated, reverted back to her base form. "You might Digivolve into great Digimon one day, just like our teacher, Gankoomon. Don't you think so, Blanc?"

Noir turned to her sister, only to be surprised that Blanc was still in her Awakened form.

"So... frustrating..." Blanc growled. "ARGH, IT'S SO FRUSTRATING!"

She then got up, as she stomped the ground in a tantrum.

"HOW COULD WE LOSE!?" She demanded.

"Blanc, calm down! The goal of today's battle was to boost their confidence to get stronger. We discussed this before!" Noir scolded her bratty sister.

"But it's so frustrating that we lost, even though we gave it everything we've got!" Blanc moaned, before she turned to Richard and Nokia. "Hey, how about another round? What do you say?"

"If it's just me alone, I'll go." Kuro said, as he walked in front of Blanc. "You might want your sister as well to be with you in Awakened Form, to make this fair."

"Good, good! I'm so pumped right now. One fight isn't enough!" Blanc said, as she raised her trident. "LEETTT'SSS GOOOO-!"

"LOVE PUNCH!" A more mature female voice was heard shouting, as something slammed onto Blanc's back, as she took a blow to the back of her head, as she fell flat on the ground, completely unconsciousness, gaining everyone's attention, as the figure balanced itself and got up.

When they got a good look, Noir was shocked to the extreme, as she knew the person before her.

"Geez. I leave you two for a while, and you get into shenanigans like this." The newcomer spoke in a calm tone. "Surely that you shouldn't be disappointing Gankoomon by being so unruly in that attitude, eh?"

"...Sister Ciel?" Noir asked. "I thought you were... investigating this world for abnormalities..."

The figure turned around to reveal the third Sistermon sister, which seemed to be have tan skin compared to the light-white skin of the other two sisters, as well as having a grey version of the dress, and long silver high-heels with silver stockings on her legs, as well as twin katanas sheathed on her shoulders, as she had black hair that was quite slick and smooth, and her animal korbut was that of a blue mouse with whiskers, its ends being jagged and patterned.

"Long time no see... Noir." Ciel greeted her sister with a prideful smile.


	16. Chapter 15: Makiko Date and Human Spirit

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 15: Makiko Date and Human Spirits

* * *

 _In the third level of Kowloon..._

Everyone stared at Ciel, who noticed the looks she was getting, as she just scoffed.

"What, never seen someone giving her younger sister some disciplining?" Ciel asked, before she turned to Noir, as she placed a finger on Noir's chest. "And you, my twin sister, Noir, are also responsible for this. I know that you were involved in causing this somehow. Talk."

"Well, it's very... complicated. We were just trying out the gym for our first customers, before we took them seriously by using our Awakened forms." Noir explained hastily, as she tried her best to placate her twin sister.

"Yeah, the battle got heated, and things got hectic from there." Richard confirmed the fact, as Ciel turned to him.

"Hm! So you must be the one that had to deal with my sisters. They often get into situations like this, so I can only apologise for the trouble they bought you. They're even worse without me reining them in." Ciel said to Richard.

"Actually, it was a team effort." Richard said, as he gestured to his entire group. "I was the only one doing the actual training, while the rest were just there to give the gym a lively atmosphere. By the way, the training gym actually helped to develop their abilities further for Digivolution."

"Glad to see that the wishes of my sisters are fulfilled. And many thanks to you." Ciel smiled. "I'm Sistermon Ciel, twin sister of Noir, and the other older sister to Blanc."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you too, Ciel." Gus chimed in. "What brought you here?"

"Sisterly instincts. Can't live without them." Ciel smirked.

"So... What should we do now?" Keisuke asked. "Technically, the request is done."

"But there is so much more to do here!" Antonio said. "Bolt feels like that he'll be better training here, than being with the main group."

"So in short... You're telling me that you all are temporarily resigning from helping Hudie out, until you Digivolve your Digimon into Megas like Kuro and Keisuke's HerculesKabuterimon?" Richard asked his group.

Everyone nodded to him, as Richard shook his head with a smile.

"You guys... Well, if that's what you all wish, since you find the gym so effective." Richard said with a bright smile. "But Gus, you're not allowed. Keisuke needs at least me and one other person to bail his ass if he gets into trouble. And I'll send Elma here with her Digimon partner if possible."

Richard then turned to Noir. "So... I guess that you've got some diligent customers for your gym business." Richard stated. "So, is it possible that you can train them beyond Champion level?"

"Of course! We've got our ways in making them surpass their limits!" Noir assured Richard with a nod.

"Then I'll leave my friends in capable hands." Richard nodded, before he turned to Ciel. "By the way, now that you managed to quell your sister's addiction for battle, what will you do now, Ciel?"

"Oh, me? Well, since I've been having trouble finding things recently, I may as well give my dear sisters some support. After all, I'm the one who reminded them of Gankoomon's teachings and training." Ciel answered back, before she smiled evilly. "And don't worry about your friends, I'll make sure they'll be well-prepared by the time you come back for them."

Richard and Keisuke both shivered in fear in thinking what twisted method of training Ciel would have devised for the Digimon in the gym.

"Well, I guess we're done here finally." Richard said. "Come on, Keisuke. Let's go."

* * *

 _In the internet cafe, Hudie..._

Richard logged out of EDEN, as everyone materialised back into the real world, as he looked around, before getting out, as Keisuke comes out of his booth as well.

"So... No new cases?" Richard asked. "Don't forget that if my friends are connected to either one of us, if we log out, so do they. The sooner I can spend more time in EDEN, the better for all of us."

"No. Not this time." Keisuke answered back.

Suddenly they heard Wormmon's muffled cries, as Keisuke immediately reacts by knocking on Erika's door.

"Erika? What's going on in there? Is there something wrong with Wormmon?" Keisuke asked.

"It's nothing. Wormmon is just scared of a new procedure on him." Erika replied back, muffled by the thickness of the door.

"Waaa! Erika! Stop! I'm sorry!" Wormmon cried.

"Well, that cry is grounds enough to take a closer look to all of this!" Richard said, as he turned the doorknob. "Sorry, Erika, but we're coming in!"

Richard and Keisuke rush in to find that Erika was tampering with Wormmon, who was now an pixellated 8-bit version of himself, as Richard's expression turned bland.

"Erika, what?" Richard asked back in a dreary tone. "What is this?"

"You need to straighten up and fly right! This is just a small reminder!" Erika scolded Wormmon with a harsh face, before turning to the two boys. "Since we started sharing memory, this little guy learned how to hack. Then he went and created his very own virus, and then he went and tried it on me! Now all I can see on my screen is this stupid pixel art of Numemon!"

Richard thought back to what the Numemon is, before imaginining it in pixel form, as he cringed deeply at the horrible thought.

"So you gave him a taste of his own medicine then, Erika?" Richard asked back.

"Waah! My body feels weird! Turn me back!" Wormmon begged.

"I told you to make it, not to infect me with it! Let this be a lesson to you!" Erika responded back harshly.

"Don't get so mad! I was just using your own memory!" Wormmon replied back. "You did the same thing before you started Hudie! To show Ryuji how good you were, you turned all of Ryuji's and Chitose's image files into pixel art. And they were all pink wom-"

Erika then pressed a sequence of keys, as Wormmon shrieked as if he was struck by a thunderbolt, as he fell down on his belly.

"That's enough! Next time, I'll really paralyse you too!" Erika answered back, as there was a slight blush of embarrassment on her cheeks from having her secret be revealed to everyone in the room. "You two better not tell this to anyone else, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear." Richard answered back, as he mimicked zipping his mouth shut, and then flicking the zipper off his mouth.

"Oooohhh..." Wormmon groaned.

Ryuji then came on, as he seemed to have something to say.

"We got a job from ZAXON." Ryuji said. "I'm going to hack into the Cyber Crimes Investigation Unit server now, Matayoshi's department."

"Ryuji, what about me? Can I come with you this time?" Erika asked.

"Fine, but don't do anything stupid." Ryuji reluctantly agreed for his little sister, as Erika smiled a little. "We'll need to snatch an insider's account. The target is Matayoshi himself. Sorry, I need to borrow your account info, Keisuke."

"Well, if it'll help get the job done, I guess...!" Keisuke answered back with a hesitant nod. "Do you need Chitose as well?"

"No. It would be problematic to get him involved. He would be likely to refuse, considering our history with Matayoshi." Ryuji shook his head. "He is still indebted to Matayoshi, and wouldn't do anything to him at all, since he had saved us once before from a hacker who tried to blackmail Chitose."

' _And I forget to tell Chitose that Ryuji needs to be kept with an eye on him._ ' Richard thought, as he typed a quick message through to Chitose, before Ryuji and the others could notice his message.

 _' **Ryuji's been acting a little strange. He said that ZAXON wants in on the Cyber Crimes Investigation Unit. Surprisingly, he seems to care quite little about the job details itself. You might want to look up what he has been doing lately... -Kage**_ ' The message read.

"Then who should we get?" Richard asked, as his message was sent to Chitose. "It seems like that I can't play innocent, since Matayoshi knows me and everyone else. So the only choice is to have someone who isn't affiliated with any hackers, to help with the distraction."

"Wait, I got just the person." Keisuke said, as he then sent a call to Yu, who picked it up. "Hey, Yu. I'll need your help with something... If you're free, come to the EDEN Community Area... We need some help with something... Yeah, thanks, see you."

Keisuke then cut the call, as he turned to Ryuji. "Will my friend do? He seems like that he'll help, as long it's not something too dangerous."

"I see. Richard?" Ryuji asked. "I want you to do some patrolling in the third level of Kowloon. For now, we will need to see if there are anything suspicious occurring in Kowloon."

"Will do." Richard answered back. "The rest of my group is coming with me, because they need to train their Digimon partners."

He then headed outside, as he sat down in his booth, and clapped his hands to gather everyone in.

"Alright, Ryuji wants us to do a quick little run-through of Kowloon. He said to start with the third level, but let's be thorough and concise when we do such a job." Richard relayed their objectives to his team. "Gus, you're with me. Everyone else, you know the drill. You should know where the Sistermon Gym is, so get there, and make sure your Digimon are prepared to Digivolve as soon as possible."

Everyone nodded in response, as they all disappeared into EDEN, with Richard.

* * *

 _In the DigiLab..._

Richard arrived at the DigiLab alone, as he had Gus do the first floor by himself. He then approached Mirei, who was typing something on her laptop, before she raised her head to face Richard.

"Well, your presence here is quite welcome here, Richard Liu." Mirei spoke in a whimsical tone. "I am sure that you are aware that the other ones I have spoken of the first time we met are David Ishihara and his members?"

"I am fully aware of that fact... Unfortunately." Richard answered back with a frown. "But their doings don't concern me, unless it affects EDEN as a whole. So... I have come to ask you something."

"What is it, Richard?" Mirei asked.

"How is... Sacrum?" Richard questioned, as he hesitated a little while he looked away. "Is it possible that he will be able to achieve the desired form?"

Hearing the name caused Mirei's smile to drop, as she knew that what Richard spoke of is something that only Richard and her know.

"He is still fine." Mirei said, as she guided Richard to the Digifarm Console, where a BlackGabumon was amongst a horde of Digimon that Keisuke had planned to nurture and train in the Farm Island. "In time, he will be able to reach Ultimate Level after a few more days."

"So I see... Then it is best that I leave him be." Richard nodded, as he turned around to leave.

"Richard... I want to ask you... Is this what you truly wish for?" Mirei asked. "What you are doing is something that I cannot condone myself. No matter the justification, no matter the result, it is wrong... wrong to raise a Digimon like that, to know nothing of its master, and fade to nothing without knowing what its cruel purpose was."

Richard stopped mid-step, as he clenched his fists. "So...?" Richard asked back. "You're telling me that there was a way that Kuro achieve his Ultra Form, without this plan? Do you really think that I am happily willing to sacrifice a Digimon just so that I can have Kuro just as strong as the Royal Knights? I will tell you this, even in his BlackWarGreymon form, even with him standing at the pinnacle of his development, it is not enough to be able to fight off the threat that plagues the two worlds. And temporary forms are pointless, if it cuts off at the worst of times."

"Then what about Sun and Bolt?" Mirei fired back another question. "I am aware of what path you wish for them to take. But tell me, are you going to assure that their individuality will remain? That they will not become one mind when they are fused in desperate times?"

"...So you know of Susanoomon." Richard answered back solemnly. "No. Susanoomon will only be used a last resort and only then. It will be temporary, allowing them to be Sun and Bolt after they have expended their power. But Kuro... He must stay in his greatest form. And to achieve that permanently, a equally permanent sacrifice is to be made. Hence why I named the BlackGabumon I have created to grow as 'Sacrum'. Latin for sacrifice, the one who will ascend Kuro into Omnimon Zwart. There's a reason why I distanced myself from Sacrum, Mirei. Because the more I grow attached to him, the more I will hesitate to make the sacrifice. I do this for the good of both him and I, because at least he won't feel betrayal when I merge him with Kuro. Perhaps he will become a secondary personality, perhaps he will fade away in peace. Either way, it must be done."

"To do such things..." Mirei stated with a serious expression. "You must have seen what would have happened if you hesitated for a decision far more worse than what you would feel right now."

The only response from Richard was silence, as he continued to walk before he left the hidden place without another word, as Mirei sat down.

"Richard Liu... Your actions are quite questionable for a person who tried to help others." Mirei said to no-one. "I wonder if this is another observation that I must analyse..."

* * *

 _In the first floor of Kowloon..._

Richard appeared back at the server transfer pad of Kowloon, as he saw that Gus was coming his way, as Richard greeted him with a raise of his hand.

"Hey." Richard said in a casual manner. "How goes the patrolling? Met anyone who was trying to screw EDEN over?"

"No. I just met some typical hackers. They were just exploring the place." Gus shook his head, stating his findings. "Other than that, Sun had to fight a lot of wild Digimon. But that's it."

"Hm. That's a shame." Richard said. "Actually, let us move to the third level in Kowloon. I have a feeling that there might be something interesting happening in it."

Gus nodded, as they hopped on the server transfer pad, and transferred down to the third floor of Kowloon.

When they arrived, they searched the entire area, as they passed by the Sistermon Gym, as they greeted Noir and Blanc, who were supervising their friends' Digimon, while Ciel greeted them with a smile, while she held down Bolt, as the Garurumon was trying to do some push-up in his encumbered state.

Going through the surrounding areas, they soon found themselves in a area with a lot of floating passages, all connected by yellow panels that serve as elevators.

"Huh, that's a new place." Gus said. "Perhaps we should have a look around-"

"We got you cornered, you punks! Give up peacefully!" A female voice was heard, as they immediately saw that the source of the voice was from a lady dressed in standard policewoman uniform, as she had brown-to-yellow gradient hair, as she was with Matayoshi and Keisuke, who was surprisingly in the form of a Poyomon, only recognisable by the fact that Richard used his Digivice to check, as they were cornering three hackers.

"Isn't that Keisuke and the others?' Gus said. "We have to get up there and help them!"

"There's no need to state the obvious! Matayoshi is very likely to not have any Digimon, and Keisuke only has HerculesKabuterimon." Richard said. "Come on!"

They immediately made it to the platform where Keisuke and the others were, as they noticed that the hacker-in-yellow was dissing the trio.

"Shaddup! So what if you found us in EDEN!" The hacker shouted back with a sneer. "Once we make it to the logout zone, we can disappear in the real world! Get outta here before you get hurt, old man!"

"Who are you calling 'old man', punk!?" The woman roared back, as she cracked his knuckles. "You're not fit to clean Matayoshi's shoes!"

"I told you to relax, Date!" Matayoshi reminded the policewoman.

"What are you talking about-" Date asked back, as she turned away from the hacker.

"Now..! GO!" The hacker leader said, as he took advantage of the moment, and summoned his Triceramon, which was a black dinosaur Digimon with blue eyes, and two red-black horns on its forehead, as well as a short black horn on its nose. "Get rid of them!"

The Triceramon roared, as it charged at Date, as the policewoman was taken by surprise.

"Date!" Matayoshi yelled, as Ryuji suddenly appeared with Coredramon, who held the attack, as Richard rushed at the group, summoning Kuro from his Digivice, as Kuro immediately kicked Triceramon onto the edge of the platform.

"Get back... This is between hackers!" Ryuji told Date and Matayoshi, as both of them backed away.

"I know I smelt some rats!" Richard stated with a furious expression towards the hacker, as he turned to Ryuji. "Hey, Ryuji, should we show them why you shouldn't be messing around in ZAXON territory, right?"

"...Hm. Very well." Ryuji nodded, as he turned to the hackers. "You should have backed off, idiots. Now, it's time to mix things up!"

"Get outta our way!" One of the the other hackers yelled, as he summoned a Monochromon, which was a quadrupedal dinosaur Digimon with grey skin, which was mostly covered by black scaled armour on top of it, and on its legs, as there was a large horn on its snout, and its head had several frills with orange and black sections.

"Big mistake!" Richard said. "Kuro! Dark Terra Force!"

Kuro complied immediately, throwing the massive ball of destruction, knocking the two enemy Digimon to a inch of their life, as they couldn't stand up at all from the special move of the Mega.

"Wh-What the!?" The leading hacker stuttered. "Damn! You're hackers like us, but you're working with the cops!?"

"Asshole, you kicked the hornet's nest, you're asking to be dealt by both us and the police." Richard hissed back. "We're just working together to catch you all."

"Well now, I'm impressed by what you have done now, Richard. It seems Ryuji is losing his game." Matayoshi chuckled lightly, before turning to Date. "Hey, Date. Quit spacing out! Take them in."

"Oh... Yeah!" Date replied, as she was trying to get rid of the blush on her face. "You guys, over there! You're going to spill where you logged in!"

"That Digimon that was with you isn't here." Matayoshi said, turning to Ryuji. "Was that your Digimon too?"

"Nah... even among Digimon, there are some real weirdos." Ryuji said, covering for Keisuke, who left during the fight.

"...Heh. Sure." Matayoshi smiled, as Date was cracking her knuckles with a sadistic grin, before she then locked the hacker leader in a arm-lock.

"By the way, Ryuji. We've checked Kowloon like you asked." Richard said to Ryuji. "Nothing happened, except for this happy little incident. I guess our job from you is done, right?"

"Yes." Ryuji simply answered back.

"Good. Because I'm going to be staying here a little longer. I need my friends to spend some more time in the Sistermon gym, to train their Digimon to Digivolve faster." Richard responded back.

"Sistermon Gym?" Ryuji questioned Richard's term.

"It's a long story. Consider it a Digimon equivalent of a typical gym." Richard replied back. "Tell either Chitose or Keisuke to brief me with what you got."

"And what are you going to do?" Ryuji asked.

"Why, some hacker hunting, of course!" Richard exclaimed, as he cracked his knuckles. "I have a list of wanted hackers from Mirei, and I may as well get to work with it. The Digimon were quite helpful in helping me locate them."

Ryuji was left even more confused by Richard's statement, as he left with Gus.

"Come on, Gus. Let's get you some real challengers to put Sun up against!

* * *

 _After a few moments, and a lot of wanted hackers taught a lesson..._

Richard was resting on the entrance of Kowloon, as he was resting his head against the wall, as Kuro and Sun was savouring some high-quality Digi-Meat, as they seemed to be quite hungry, and the food seemed to make them more lively. Gus was walking around, as he was trying to find something within the sea of data around them.

"I guess Kuro and Sun deserve this kind of break." Richard said with a smile, as he found Kuro's hungered expression quite amusing.

"Say, where did you get the Digi-Meat from? No wild Digimon carries or drops this kind of stuff." Gus asked his friend.

"The shop in the Digi-Lab. They're expensive as hell, but it's worth it to keep Kuro and Sun filled with nutrition for a proper battle." Richard stated. "How do you think Kuro is performing so well? At least the Digivice has a function for automatically administering Digi-Meat for those who are hungered, but it's best to feed them outside, since they can actually savour it like a proper being."

Soon Richard's Digivice flashed, as he got the briefing, which was that the team has manage to obtain Makiko Date's account data, which they will use to find valuable data regarding the fact that the higher-ups of the Cyber Crimes Investigation Unit are in 'cahoots' with the Kamishiro company, inside their server, as Keisuke, Richard and Gus are tasked in protecting Wormmon as they travel through the server and identify the key data, so that the Digimon can create a download point for Erika to obtain the data. Erika even added a extra statement, stating that the server is to be cleaned of any security Digimon or security measures, to ensure the download will not be exposed and cut off. Under the briefing was the Cyber Crimes Investigation Unit server URL.

"Well. I guess we're onto the next mission." Richard said, as he clapped his hands to gain Kuro's and Sun's attention, as they both finished their Digi-Meat. "Alright, break's over! We're going back to our usual routine of helping Hudie out, and busting some heads!"

* * *

 _In the Cyber Crimes Investigation Unit server..._

Richard looked the police-owned server, before he then became unimpressed when he saw that the server was very police-themed, as it was completely blue, with red siren light nearby.

"Seriously. What the hell is it between police and red sirens? It's a overdone cliche for christ's sake!" Richard complained, before he saw that Ryuji and Keisuke came, with Wormmon between them. "So you're here. Glad to see that we're contributing to something at least."

"The server's unoccupied, but there are Digimon around." Ryuji stated, as he looked around the server, seeing no avatars, only security Digimon. "That's unexpected. So they recognise that Digimon programs are useful too, huh."

"Woah. Tighter security here than the Kowloon Digimon." Wormmon stated.

"Definitely Kamishiro-brand security answered back." Richard replied back. "Still won't help when dealing with a Dark Terra Force from Kuro to their face. However, never been a waste to be careful regardless. They might have a lot of Ultimates, even Megas here."

"You got it, Richard, and you too, boss!" Wormmon said.

"What's with the 'boss' stuff?" Ryuji questioned Wormmon.

"Hm, did I use it wrong?" Wormmon asked. "I chose it from some phrases I found on the net. I was trying to sound like you, Ryuji."

"Well, it's not wrong, exactly." Ryuji stated, as he shook his head gently. "But 'capo' is better in this case. Anyway, quit it with the mafia slang. it doesn't suit you. Well, once in a while is fine. Okay?"

"Cool! Thanks!" Wormmon responded back with a happy voice.

"You're so much like Erika now." Ryuji noted, as he seemed to be looking at Wormmon with intrigued eyes. "She used to copy me when she was a kid, too. For her, it wasn't how I was hacking... But at some point she got even better at it than me."

"Woah... That's quite surprising to hear." Gus blurted out in surprise.

"Well, I share memories with her, so maybe that's why I'm becoming more like her." Wormmon suggested the reason for this similarity.

"Yeah, but we shouldn't talking around here." Keisuke interrupted. "We came here to retrieve data, right? It would be dangerous to spend more time here, where there is lots of security."

"Fair enough. Time to work." Ryuji stated, as he summoned his partner Coredramon to his side.

The others did the same, as Kuro, Sun and HerculesKabuterimon appeared in front of their partners, as they explored the server, as they fought off a lot of Champion Digimon.

After having to do a bit of problem-solving to grant them access to the area where they can retrieve the important data, they finally manage to reach a terminal in the centre, which had the data they needed, storied securely inside.

"Huh. Well, I guess my caution was for nothing much." Richard shrugged. "Just Champions. Even with a few situations with a type disadvantage against us, it worked out quite easily for us."

"This is the connection area... Where is the pass from Erika?" Ryuji asked, as he approached the terminal's console, as he opened up a user interface, as he slowly peeled away on the defences of the terminal, as he noticed that Keisuke was looking at him. "Something you want to say, Keisuke?"

"No... I was just... Just thinking about something." Keisuke stated with a worried expression. "I've been finding it strangle why we're going through the Cyber Crimes Investigation Unit server for incriminating data, when you both have a debt to Detective Matayoshi, and the fact that the data is best left uncovered, in the case that it could end up disbanding the unit."

"...So you think this is strange, and in relation, me as well?" Ryuji questioned back. "Either way, when you came, along with the other people who seem to be working with you, Erika seems to be a lot more happier than before, and her health seems to be much better than before. I'm grateful for all of you for that."

"Doing what we usually do, Ryuji." Gus assured Ryuji with a smile. "We're the kind of people who would do typical acts of kindness and generosity to make the world a better place for everyone."

Richard could only snort at Gus's statement, as if he found the statement quite unbelievable, before he then noticed that there was some data strands snaking towards Ryuji's console, but there were other that were being centred on a different location, two places around Ryuji.

"Uh... Keisuke, hate to be the bringer of bad news, but I think that we're about to get some unwelcome guests..." Richard stated, as he tugged the sleeve of his companion, catching the boy's attention, as Ryuji was beginning the struggle, as there was something wrong going with his hacking.

"What's this...!?" Ryuji exclaimed, before he then turned around, as the coalesced data on the locations weaved and fused together into two humanoid Digimon figures, one of them clad in a black body-suit and red armour, with steel gauntlets that were burning with orange flames, and curved horns on its head, as well as a mane of blonde hair with orange bangs flowing behind it, the other clad in a purple and white armour, with a metallic wolf helmet on its head, a long purple scarf around its neck, and twin yellow energy sabers in its hands.

"It was a security program! It was hidden in the data sent over by Erika!" Wormmon screeched. "This isn't good!"

"I can't move from here, if I'm going to make this hack successful! Cover me, you guys!" Ryuji ordered.

Keisuke immediately complied, as he ordered HerculesKabuterimon to confront them, while Gus did the same, while Richard just stared at the Digimon with a surprised expression, as it caused Keisuke to look at him.

"Richard? You alright?" Keisuke said.

"...Agunimon... And... Lobomon..." Richard murmured, as he repeated the names a few times, before he suddenly then changed to a ecstatic expression, as he jumped several feet into the air. "Oh HELL YES! Human Spirits of Flame and Light, come to papa!"

"Richard?" Keisuke asked. "You're being really weird now!"

"No, Keisuke, I'm overjoyed, so FUCKING overjoyed right now!" Richard cried. "I've been looking for the Hybrids during my patrol, so that I can beat them and take whatever Spirits they held. And now, the two very Spirits that I've been looking for have fallen into my lap right here!"

Richard then ordered Kuro forward, before he then activated his Digivice.

"I won't let this chance go to waste!" Richard said, before he applied a overclock on Kuro. "Kuro, beat them by all means necessary. They must not flee! Their spirits will be mine Mine MINE! Oh, I mean ours. We're going to need them for Sun and Bolt."

"Why would you want those things? I don't know what you plan to do with them, but since they're going to threaten us, I may as well do my best to beat them." Kuro asked, before he sighed, and entered combat.

The Agunimon, the red and black humanoid, immediately started off by accumulating the flames on its hands into spheres of fire, before lobbing them at Kuro, who merely took them standing, taking little damage, as Richard was shocked as well.

"Damn... Not even a special move from a Human Spirit can faze him now..." Richard stated with a awed expression. "I guess I made my Kuro a little too strong."

Kuro merely used a Wolkenapalm to slam the Agunimon across the platform, as the Lobomon immediately retailiated for its partner, by firing off a cross-beam of light at Kuro, who seemed to barely miss blocking it, as it forced him to step back from the force of the attack.

"I guess we shouldn't be holding back at this stage. They might get serious soon enough." Keisuke said. "HerculesKabuterimon, Giga Blaster."

The partner Digimon immediately complied, as it charged up a ball of golden electricity, before letting it fly in a massive golden beam that obliterated Lobomon in a single blow, as all that was left from it was the Human Spirit of Light, which was a statuette of Lobomon's armour with the kanji for Light on it.

"Well said, I've let them fight Kuro for too long." Richard stated, before he then snapped his fingers. "Kuro, just put it out of its misery with a Black Tornado."

Kuro immediately nodded, before he floated up, before he then stretched his body out, with his claws in front of him, as he spun around and around, getting faster, before he lowered himself, and shot towards the weakened Agunimon, as he became like a black tornado, which drilled through Agunimon, destroying it quickly, and leaving the Human Spirit of Flame.

"And that's the other down." Richard stated, as he obtained the two Human Spirits, as he stored them into his Digivice. "When we get back, we're going to have Sun go for a Agunimon route. Sure, he'll be a Champion, a weak one at that without any experience in the form, but it'll be worth it when I get him to be EmperorGreymon. Same goes for Bolt, except he'll only have to go down a single Level to get his new form."

"I see." Gus answered back with a nod, before turning to Ryuji who seemed to be almost done. "Ryuji, how long until we're done?"

"Soon. But I suggest that all of you guys leave." Ryuji stated. "Since the security around here has been completely obliterated, it would be soon that there would be a alert sent to the admins. If you don't go, things might get messy for all of you."

"And what about you, Ryuji?" Richard asked. "Surely that you're not going to risk getting caught just so that you can get the data?"

"Don't worry. I'll follow soon." Ryuji assured them. "Now go, you might be too late to leave already."

The warning seemed to take its effect on Keisuke and Gus, as they immediately return their Digimon into their Digivices, and sprint back to the server transfer pad, while Richard merely glared at Ryuji.

He noticed that Ryuji's expression seemed to be a little suspicious, as he seemed to be sweating, and he was grimacing quite visibly, before he then turned around, and ran for the server transfer pad, as he left with the others.

Ryuji then sighed, before he typed a few commands, as the transfer order became a deletion command, as he slowly erased the incriminating data, with a guilty and conflicted expression.

"Is this... the only way that I can save Erika?" Ryuji asked himself, before he then turned away, as he left the server.

Unknown to him, Chitose watched all of this from a hidden ledge, as he frowned at what Ryuji did.

"Ryuji... What have you done...? Why?" Chitose asked in a betrayed tone to himself, before he then left.

* * *

 _In the internet cafe, Hudie..._

Richard and Keisuke slid their EDEN visors off, as they got out of the booths, while everyone seemed to be quite happy.

"Ciel said that Kyubimon is ripe for Digivolution. It's quite impressive how quickly they train our Digimon compared to having to fight wild Digimon for experience and ability." Reimu stated with a satisfied expression.

"At least we can rest easy that there's now a bloodless solution to having to get stronger!" Sanae said. "Now everyone's ready to go for the Ultimate Level for their Digimon. We're going to be the strongest team in the entirety of EDEN at this rate!"

"Yeah, sure... That seems nice." Richard smiled gently, before it faded away, as Antonio noticed that.

"What's the matter, Richard? You don't usually look this glum when you come out of EDEN." Antonio said, as he was concerned about Richard. "Did something terrible happen while we trained."

"No, of course not. Kuro would have easily put a stop to it without any trouble." Richard stated. "I'm just thinking... there's something off with Ryuji."

"Him? What's wrong with him, Richard?" Gus asked.

"Something that I can't place a finger on for now..." Richard stated, before he then walked towards the cafe exit. "I need to take a walk..."

He then left the cafe, as the rest of his team were left wondering what has got Richard suddenly acting like some sort of detective.

* * *

 _Outside Hudie..._

Ryuji was about to head back into Hudie to talk with Erika, before he noticed that Richard came out, as the boy turned to Ryuji.

"Oh, Ryuji." Richard said. "Mind if you have some free time that I can have with you?"

"Sure, you deserve it after what you have done." Ryuji consented. "What do you want?"

"I just want to talk to you. But not here..." Richard trailed his last word with a frown. "What's the most private place you can think of right now? That's not too far from here?"

"I suggest that we take the alley over there. Has something been concerning you lately?" Ryuji stated, pointing to the shadowed alley.

"...Yeah." Richard answered back.

They then entered the alleyway, as Richard was in front of Ryuji, with his back turned to the veteran hacker, before he then stopped.

"Ryuji..." Richard said in a calm and even tone. "I want you to tell me something."

He then turned around, as his expression was emotionless, yet judging.

"That request... It was never from ZAXON from the first place, wasn't it?"


	17. Chapter 16: DigiMarket's Fall and Speech

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 16: DigiMarket's Fall and Yuugo's Speech

* * *

 _In the alleys of Tokyo..._

Ryuji remained silent, as Richard's words echoed to him.

"What do you mean?" He asked Richard. "What are you trying to get at? I've done nothing."

"Ryuji... There's no point in lying." Richard replied back with a slow shake of his head, as his glare at Ryuji only intensified. "When I looked back, I saw that your face was that of someone who was about to commit a grave sin. You looked like that you were going to regret what you have done."

"What do you mean? Yes, I regretted what I was doing, because I owe Matayoshi, but even then-" Ryuji asked back, as he was a little frustrated by Richard's accusations.

"That wasn't it." Richard stated back calmly. "If it really were a request from ZAXON... Then the data would be given to them immediately. And strangely, I didn't notice a single transfer of data when I saw you initiate the process. You didn't really store the data, did you? What did you do, Ryuji? Delete it, or modify it? Either way, you didn't take the data like you told us, and instead tampered with it."

"You... What does it matter with you!?" Ryuji roared back, frustrated by Richard's words.

"Everything. You said that the data you were looking for was data incriminating Kamishiro spreading corrpution amongst the higher-ups of the Cyber Crimes Investigation Unit, i.e the only semblance of actual order in this damned warfield we call EDEN." Richard answered back with a cold tone. "Just hearing about the data raised a few flags of suspicion. What was your purpose exactly, to tamper with the data? You know that you should have gave it to us, if you're really acting like you usually are. Because I know that you trust Keisuke and I to do things normally, so why all the sudden you're being all secretive and lying to us? And after all that time, why have you been in EDEN so long without a single contact with any of us? When I checked Erika's inbox of messages and emails, she was completely blank for the entire week, save for usual messages for her not to push herself."

"I..." Ryuji said, before he then saw that Richard walked towards him, as his expression twisted into one of cold rage.

"Tell me, Ryuji Mishima. Do you admit to colluding with Rie Kishibe?" Richard hissed quietly. "The fact that you've been working for her all this time, acting as someone doing her dirty work for her."

"What the, how did you..." Ryuji asked, surprised by Richard's statement.

"When I looked up Rie Kishibe, I found every single fucking thing she has done, suspicious. Not once did she make any major contributions to the company, acting as their doll-face." Richard growled. "And that mug of her, with that plastic-fake smile of hers on her face. Just looking through her eyes, like windows into a soul, I can tell that she's a utter bitch in sheep's clothing. Of course, I expected that there were more strings that she has been pulling along, other than the Demons and many other ambitious hackers. I'm planning on choking the very life of her."

Richard then grabbed Ryuji by the collar, as he dragged Ryuji down to eye-level, as his eyes were filled with hate.

"So why... Why would work with that sugar-coated whore!? Why would you act for her own good, when you know that she'll discard you like a pawn!?" Richard shouted, as tears of betrayal leaked from his eyes. "You were the person that I looked up to, goddamnit! You were supposed to be a defender of EDEN like ZAXON! Now you're doing all this for what!? WHAT!? Fame!? Money!? Bribery!? Answer me, Ryuji! ANSWER ME!"

Ryuji looked at Richard, as he then looked down at Richard's hand, as his expression turned into one of pain and self-hatred.

"Because I had to!" Ryuji shouted back. "Rie Kishibe was the only person who could extend Erika's treatment! If I don't do as she says, then Erika will lose her treatment, and she'll die! I don't care if I have to be played the villain, I will not let my sister die just because I pursued justice! If I let her die, then what point will my justice have to exist anymore? I did everything for her sake! Everything so that she can live happily for the rest of her natural life!"

Richard remained silent, as he grit his teeth. "And then what...?" Richard darkly spat back. "What will happen then!? What will happen when Kishibe stabs you in the back? What if she destroys EDEN, and in turn the memory server that Erika had!? What then, Ryuji!? WHAT THEN!? Playing this game is a zero-sum game, where you always stand to lose! Just stop it! Stop her! Delay her as much as you can, and we'll find a way! We're Hudie! We don't stand by and let out friends suffer like this!"

Ryuji then growled, before he then slammed a hook onto Richard's face, which caused him to let go of Ryuji, and fell onto his bottom, as the side of the face that he was hit at was completely bruised from the full brunt of the assault, as he gave a hateful look at the traitor leader of Hudie.

"Never speak of this, Richard. If I ever hear you talking about any of this, I will personally silence you." Ryuji hissed at Richard, before he then turned around and walked out of the alley, leaving Richard alone, clutching the heavily bruised cheek, as he slowly got up.

"You fucking idiot... You DAMN FUCKING IDIOT!" Richard screamed, as he then pounded his fist against the brick wall, as it hurt his fist, but he was too angered to care. "I try to persuade you to get Kishibe's ass early, and you go and fuck up that one chance I decide to change things for the better. Well, it doesn't matter. I'm going to make Kishibe pay for what she will do..."

Richard then got out of the alley, as he trudged back up the stairs to the internet cafe.

* * *

 _In the internet cafe, Hudie..._

Richard entered the cafe, as everyone turned to him, as they noticed the simmering expression on Richard's face, and the bruise that Richard was trying to hide with his hand.

"Richard!? What happened? Did something happen to you like Keisuke's friend before-?" Gus asked in a worried tone, as he rushed to his friend.

"I slammed my head onto something when I slipped over some slippery junk." Richard growled back. "It doesn't matter. I'm fine, even when it hurts. What's our next case-"

"Richard? Seriously, dude! Don't give us that generic excuse? What really happened-" Antonio was about to say, before he saw Richard's furious eyes glared at him.

"I'm going to repeat this clearly for all of you. IT. IS. NOTHING." Richard stated in a barely restrained tone of anger, accenting his word louder with each pronounced word, before he then sat down on the booth, as he shoved the Hudie USB into the booth's desktop hard-drive, as he logged into the Hudie hacker site, and checked the Bulletin Board.

No-one dared to ask again about what happened about Richard, as the black-haired boy slowly calmed down, as the sounds of clicking and fabric rubbing against each other was heard in the complete silence of the cafe, before Richard then stood up.

"It seems that we have a case." Richard stated. "Erika wants to explain this matter to us, since there is a little... situation regarding what is happening with it."

Richard then walked up to the door to Erika's room, knocking it a few times, before Erika called for them to come in. Richard then entered the room, as Gus and Keisuke followed in.

"There you are." Erika said, turning around to face them. "Hang on. I called my brother and Chitose."

Richard merely let out a quiet grunt, as Ryuji and Chitose soon came in.

"Erika? What's up-" Chitose greeted the girl, before he saw the massive bruise on Richard's face, as he hissed in sympathy. "Ooo, that's a real big one. How did you get that?"

"None of your business, Chitose. It's merely a accidental injury. It won't stop me from helping solve the case." Richard answered back, giving Ryuji a glare that the silver-haired man returned back with his own, as Richard then turned to Erika. "So... I read what was on it, but seriously, could you really explain what is going on?"

"Multiple cases relating to the market were posted on the Bulletin Board at the same time." Erika explained. "I wanted to explain what to do about them. Over to you, Wormmon."

Wormmon then appeared on Erika's monitor, inside a window.

"I'll start with the first case that came in, from a hacker named Kotaro." Wormmon stated. "It reads 'It's barbaric how the people in the black market mistreat Digimon and then sell them as objects. I want you to help destroy the black market!'. Then there's the other one from Sosuke, reading 'There's a group trying to destroy the DigiMarket. We want to stop them, but don't have the manpower. Can you help us?'"

"And you see that the two cases contradict each other. And there are several requests that are requesting us to either destroy or protect the DigiMarket." Erika continued from Wormmon's explanation.

"Hm... That happens from time to time." Chitose commented, as he rubbed the back of his head casually. "We're in a pretty unique position. So, what should we do, Ryuji?"

"Hmm... Digimon trading is illegal and more than a little immoral." Ryuji voiced his opinion. "But as I said before, Kowloon's existence relies on people like that. We can't just rush into this based on someone's biased sense of justice. We need to think it through carefully."

"I think we should take Kotaro's case. Hudie are defenders of justice after all, right?" Chitose suggested.

"I am in agreement. Even though it would be spitting on the gratitude that the wholesaler showed us before, but we shouldn't be letting such things happen to the Digimon being imprisoned. It could mean worse things for those other than Airdramon. I don't think that the DigiMarket would be as nice to the Digimon as the wholesaler would be. He was mistaken,the others don't care." Richard agreed to the idea.

"Like my brother said, I think Kowloon needs groups like that. Their inner workings may be unpleasant, but surely, there's no reason to destroy them?" Erika objected back.

"Both sides make a good argument. I hate to sit on the fence like this, but I really don't know which way to go." Ryuji answered back.

"Then I suggest letting Keisuke being the one to decide." Gus suggested as well. "Since he's only a new member like the rest of us, whatever he does in the case will not do much to decrease the reputation of Hudie to the affected groups."

"Fine. On one condition. Listen to what they both have to say, and then make your decision." Ryuji stated. "Don't worry, whatever happens, we've got your back."

"Thank you, Ryuji." Keisuke answered back. "I'll make sure to decide well when the time comes."

Everyone soon left the room, as Keisuke slid his EDEN visor on.

"If I remember, Kotaro should be around where the Hacker Forum is, while Sosuke would be at the EDEN Free Area." Keisuke said. "Where should we go first?"

"Why not both at the same time?" Antonio suggested. "It would be much quicker, and we'll have more time to decide if things get hectic fast."

"Then I'll go for Sosuke. You go for Kotaro." Richard said, as he logged into EDEN, heading for the EDEN Free Area.

* * *

 _In the EDEN Free Area..._

Richard, Antonio and Gus found Sosuke, who was a male hacker with a blue jacket, greyish-yellow straight hair, in one of the private areas, as he noticed the three of them.

"You must be from Hudie? Erika told me you'd received conflicting cases about the DigiMarket, and wanted to hear from both parties." Sosuke told the group, as he smiled. "Well, let's make our argument. We never wanted to rock the boat, but the group pushing for the DigiMarket to be abolished left us no choice. We want programs, and they sell them. What's so bad about hackers trading hacking tools? Digimon are tools that are there to be used. And now we have a group of people making a fuss and saying weird things like Digimon are actually alive. They couldn't be more wrong."

' _Wrong way around, jackass. It's you who's completely wrong, with evidence from our Digimon._ ' Richard thought, as he nodded. "Mhm. So?" He simply replied back.

"We're just asking you to drive them away, so that the market can keep doing what it does." Sosuke continued. "That's all I ask from you."

Suddenly, a hacker rushed towards Sosuke, before he stopped, gasping from breath.

"Hey, Sosuke! They're planning to attack the DigiMarket in about a few minutes!" The hacker warned Sosuke.

"Then we're out of time... Tch." Sosuke clicked his tongue in irritation. "Sorry, I have to go. But please go the forum immediately. I'm confident that you'll decide to support us."

He then made his way to the server transfer pad, as he and his companion disappeared.

"Digimon are tools... Hah, what a laugh. Like hell I'm going to help a ungrateful bastard like him." Richard barked, before he then entered the server transfer pad. "We'll be there... to kick his ass."

They then teleported to the Hacker's Forum, where the DigiMarket would usually be.

* * *

 _In the Hacker Forum..._

Richard entered in the middle of a fight, as the opposing hackers were staring off each other, as the one facing Sosuke was a man with orange hair and a purple T-shirt. Keisuke, Reimu and Sanae, was just watching the entire talk between the two groups, as Richard moved towards him immediately.

"So you're Sosuke, huh? The one who wants to stop us from destroying the market?" The man asked the hacker. "You've got some nerve."

"We're just here to defend something we believe in. You're just here to destroy the DigiMarket based on some crazy nonsense. You better think twice! You're so wrapped up in your misguided sense of justice that you never stopped to consider the people who use the DigiMarket."

"And what you have considered!?" The opposing leader retorted back. "Certainly not the feelings of the Digimon who are horribly mistreated here every day!"

"Digimon are just tools. Treating them as living beings makes no sense." Sosuke rebuked back.

"Like I'll agree to that!" Kotaro said, as he pulled out his Digivice, as the others on his side did the same. "There's nothing left to say!"

"I agree. It's a waste of words." Sosuke replied back, as he pulled out his Digivice, with his team doing the same.

"So... Your choice is made, Keisuke?" Richard asked. "Remember, you call the shots here. We're fighting with you here. But word of advice, Sosuke here dissed Kuro and the other Digimon partners, so I'd suggest giving him a fucking beating to prove him otherwise. It's not like we're dependent on the DigiMarket now, right?"

Keisuke immediately nodded, as Keisuke rushed to the side of the team opposing Sosuke, as Richard smiled as he and Gus did the same.

"Hehe, I knew you would make the right choice!" The leader said, as he noticed Richard and Gus. "Oh, and your friends are helping? My name is Kotaro, and thanks for helping me."

"Tch. It's too bad that you didn't choose to help us." Sosuke spoke to Richard with a disappointed tone. "But that doesn't change anything. We have to stand our ground in a Domination Battle! We won't let you get away with this!"

"We'll see. And one last thing, Sosuke?' Richard said with a sneer. "Digimon ARE living things, and you're about to feel their wrath in a red-hot ball of power. Kotaro, let Keisuke, me and Gus take care of this."

"If you say so... Got it!" Kotaro said, as the six combatants of the Domination Battle are transported to their battlefield, which was a battlefield with a middle area that must be boarded upon to get to the higher platform with the high-value sectors.

 _After a long Domination Battle, with countless curb-stomping for our protagonists..._

Sosuke was left on his knees, after his Digimon took one too many Dark Terra Forces from Kuro, ending up being unable to obtain any significant amount of points to turn the match around, as the three Hudie hackers took the high-value sectors one by one without any stopping, engaging the enemies to send them back to the start and sabotaging their progress.

"H-How!?" Sosuke cried, before he got up and ran away. "I won't forget this! You'll pay for this!"

"Woohoo! Victory!" Kotaro cried. "Advance! Storm the market!"

The hackers with him cheered, as they tore the cages holding the Digimon down, as the Hudie members contributed, by having their Digimons destroy the bindings holding the higher levelled Digimon down, as they all fled to Kowloon.

"Kotaro! All the Digimon are free! They've escaped to Kowloon!" A hacker reported to Kotaro.

"Great work, everyone!" Kotaro cheered, as he turned to the Hudie members. "Especially you guys. Most of the dealers are gone, and their goods are completely free and released. They won't be able to have another chance to start this over again, so we'll let them be. The DigiMarket is no more, and Digimon have to no longer live with the fear that they'll one day be locked up in tiny cages or deleted."

Kotaro then sent something over to Keisuke.

"Here's our token of gratitude. The payment in money for this case is not enough for the massive help you brought for us." Kotaro said, before he then headed for the server transfer pad, lifting his hand in farewell. "See you all later, saviours of Digimon."

The entire group leaves the Hacker Forum, leaving the Hudie members alone in the server for now.

"So, how do you feel, Keisuke? Feel like that we've done the right thing?" Richard asked. "Because I sure felt like that the thing we did was the best outcome of all."

"...Same here." Keisuke nodded. "Are you sure that they won't turn wild when they return back to Kowloon?"

"..Mmmm, probably not." Richard answered back. "Considering that these Digimon are house-trained, they will have sentience and personality, so they'll be easy to distinguish from the wild and logic-less Digimon around in these parts."

The Hudie team then moved to the server transfer pad, as Richard took a look back at the ruins of the former DigiMarket, as he sighed, since it was thanks to it that he got Bolt and Ran for Antonio and Reimu.

Before they could log out, Keisuke and Richard received a message from Fei.

' **ZAXON's calling a emergency meeting in our forum. It's really important, so be there or else. -Fei** ' The message read.

"A message from Fei to join ZAXON's meeting?" Keisuke asked with a raised eyebrow. "Well, I guess we're going to be here a little longer."

"Right. Before I go, I'll need to DeDigivolve Sun and Bolt." Richard said. "We're going to the DigiLab, and we'll be at the forum as soon as possible."

Richard then entered the DigiLab, with his teammates, while Keisuke went to the ZAXON forum ahead of them.

* * *

 _In the DigiLab..._

Richard then transferred the Human Spirits into the amalgamation of monitors in the centre of the room, as the screens briefly glowed and pulsed red and blue with the kanji of the elements represented flashing on them briefly, before they stopped glowing. Gus and Antonio summoned Sun and Bolt, as Richard got Kuro out of his Digivice, as the BlackWarGreymon wanted to see what Sun was going to become.

"There... That should give us access to Agunimon and Lobomon." Richard said, as he turned to Gus and Antonio, and their Digimon partners. "Gus, Antonio. I warn you now, DeDigivolving is as permanent as Digivolving is. It'll be like regressing to a weaker form due to situations. Once you're in your new forms, you will need to train again, so that you can evolve again. Are you prepared to toil again to obtain higher forms of power, Sun? Bolt?"

"Well, you've been quite helpful in making us get through all of this in one piece, so sure, why not?" Bolt stated with a grin. "It's not like I have much to lose."

"Although it might be a temporary setback, if this will make me stronger in the long run, I'll do it. I have still yet to prove myself as Kuro's equal, as the light to his darkness." Sun stated with a determined and fearless expression, that Kuro smiled at, impressed by Sun's will to do this for the sake of obtaining more power to reach his goal.

"Then, what about you two?" Richard asked. "Remember, the fight will get a lot more harder, since the wild Digimon that we're up against now will be the same level that your partners will be at now. This means that your fights will possibly end in their defeat. And I don't want to know what happens to them if they get defeated. Maybe they'll cling to life after battle, like waking up from unconsciousness? Or maybe they'll be deleted like the rest of the Digimon, only to be reborn again without the memories they had before..."

"I'm not going to back down, because of danger, Richard." Gus stated. "And since neither will Sun, I wholeheartedly accept what is to come."

"I'm not against or for it, Richard. But if it'll give Bolt a nice new look and a lot of power and speed, we'll give it a shot at least." Antonio stated back casually.

"Alright, then let me just activate the console..." Richard stated, as he walked over to the DigiBank console, as he confirmed the DeDigivolution of the two partner Digimon.

Like their Digivolution procedures, they were swallowed in a bright light over their forms, however, their forms slowly reverted down to their small Rookie forms, as the procedure ended with Sun in his Agumon Form, and Bolt in his Gabumon form.

"Good... Now..." Richard said, as he looked at the DigiBank console, before he then sighed in relief. "Good. It seems that the accumulated experience and data transferred back into your base forms. That means that we can Digivolve immediately. Here we go..."

Their forms glowed again, except the Human Spirits appeared from two of the monitors on the centre of the room, as they flew towards their respective owners, as they fused into the Digimon completely, as the light engulfing them turned orange-red and dark-blue respectively, as their forms shifted into the forms of Agunimon and Lobomon.

Sun then took the moment to get used to his humanoid form, grasping his hands, as he paced around the room, while Bolt was testing out his beam sabers, as he was surprised how bright and warm they felt. Both of them seemed to be expressing a sense of word-less curiosity and awe, as Kuro chuckled.

"Well, if that's what they're going to be, I'm going to have to start training once Sun gets a Mega Form of his own." Kuro commented, as Richard then turned to Sanae and Reimu.

"Right, and I almost forgot, Ran and Aya should be able to Digivolve right?" Richard asked.

Both of the girls nodded their heads in agreement, releasing their Digimon partners, as Richard smiled.

"Good. Being Champion-level and Rookie-Level is utterly inefficient at this stage of the war we fight against all kinds of threats." Richard stated, as he entered the commands for Digivolution. "Let's go for Ultimate-level, shall we?"

Ran and Aya glowed, as they transformed into new forms. Ran became a humanoid kitsune Digimon, with a purple and white onmyoji outfit around her body, with white cloth strips on her waist, as there were the yin-yang symbols on the tall propped collar of her outfit with orange flames above them, and one on the centre of her chest, as she had red tailsmans floating around her like a guardian spirit. Aya became a tall bipedal bird Digimon with a brown feather coating, large yellow talons on her hands and feet, and large wings on her back, as well as a large orange cowl over her head, and runic rings around her knees and elbows.

"Hm... This is quite a fitting form, I must say." Ran stated, examining her new form. "In this form, I feel like that I have a certain... camaraderie with the holy maiden whom I serve..."

"Woah! So this is what Digivolution feels like! I feel so much stronger and faster than before, and I feel like I can take on every single person in our way just by myself!" Aya exclaimed, as she beat her wings a few times, creating a small gust that seems to cool the Digimon a little, and force their smaller partners to be blown back a few steps.

"Careful now, pride is a very dangerous thing to be flaunting around." Richard warned Aya. "But yes, you'll be good in this form. Come now, we leave for the ZAXON Forum."

Richard and the group left for the ZAXON forum, with their Digimon partner back in their Digivices.

* * *

 _In the ZAXON forum..._

Richard and the group found themselves in the middle of a crowd of hackers, as they saw that Yuugo was standing on the stage on the far opposite, with Fei by his side.

"Hackers of ZAXON, of Kowloon... No, all of EDEN! I ask you this! Are you free?" Yuugo called out to everyone in the forum. "Free from involvement, interference, monitoring... Do such freedoms exist in EDEN today?"

Richard then turned around, as he noticed Keisuke nearby, as they approached him.

"We just came in time for the speech, right?" Richard asked, as Keisuke nodded back quickly in response, as they turn their attention to Yuugo, who was going to continue his speech to the hackers.

"And what about EDEN's prototype, the birthplace of us hackers, our holy land: Under Zero? A space seen as ideal by the creator of this Digital World. Much freer, offering a better life..." Yuugo continued, before he then sighed deeply in melancholy. "Under Zero was seized when EDEN was launched, and turned into an unmanned server to control information. Now, it's nothing more than a fortress, outfitted with the toughest security in the world. Under Zero... our ideal home... is now on the oldest of EDEN's servers, the Valhalla server."

There were murmurs among the hacker crowd, as some of them were too quiet to be heard, or were overlapped by other voices so much the whole phrase was indistinguishable, as Yuugo raised a hand to silence the crowd, as they did so quickly.

"It's time for us hackers to take back our utopia! To bring a new order to EDEN! To release it from a 'freedom' filled with monitoring and interference!" Yuugo cried with passion. "We ZAXONs, hereby declare our reclamation of our holy land, Under Zero! If there are any who share in our aspirations, then join us! For Under Zero!"

Everyone then broke into cries, chanting Yuugo's name and ZAXON, and cries for the reclaiming of Under Zero, as Chitose walked towards the group, from behind them.

"What are they talking about...!? Under Zero!?" Chitose exclaimed with a worried expression.

Fei then walked to them, as she passed through the crowd, as she looked at Keisuke and everyone with him.

"This meeting will go down as a great day in Kowloon's history. I wish you good fortune, considering that you've been a great help lately." Fei told them.

"Fei! Wait, what is ZAXON thinking! Going after Under Zero!?" Chitose shouted. "You just got over all that internal fighting... Are you trying to prove that ZAXON is still strong by committing to this attack!?"

"Correct. If we're successful. We can silence the buzzing of all the gnats around us." Fei stated stoically.

"If that's your goal, then stop!" Chitose begged with a frantic expression. "A bunch of hackers can't handle security like that!"

"Maybe not a bunch of old hackers like you, no." Fei retorted back, crossing her arms. "But we've got special Digimon programs. We're much stronger than hackers were back in your day."

"That's not the problem! The security there is-!" Chitose tried to rebuke back.

"If you're scared, just stay out of it. There's no point in reopening old wounds." Fei sternly told Chitose.

"Then tell me... Is taking that place your real goal?' Chitose asked back, calming down to a more even tone.

"...So what if it is?" Fei asked. "It doesn't concern you. Either come or not. It's your choice."

"...Nothing, forget it." Chitose answered back with a sour expression, as he turned to leave the forum. "Sorry, I gotta head back to the shop. Don't even think about getting mixed up in this."

He then walked out of the crowd, as Fei looked at the group.

"Then what about you all?" Fei asked them. "Surely you aren't going to just listen to him and surrender. Look around you, Kowloon and the other hacker teams seem to be with us. So, if you count as hackers, you must know and understand what Under Zero means to all of us. Consider it."

Fei then disappeared into the crowd, as fast as she came to them.

"Well, I guess that we'll need time to consider this." Keisuke said. "Come on, let's go, Richard, everyone."

Richard merely looked up to Yuugo, as his expression was locked in one of dread and fear.

"...Richard?" Keisuke asked Richard again, worried about what got Richard pulling off this facial expression, as the boy turned to him.

"Keisuke... You go first... I have some things to do." Richard said, as he immediately dragged Gus and Antonio by the collars, as he rushed to the server transfer pad, despite the protests of the people he was dragging, as Reimu and Sanae followed after.

Keisuke was left confused and curious about what suddenly made Richard act like this, before he then sighed and left EDEN, while Richard went to a certain place...


	18. Chapter 17: Dinosaurists and Nokia

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 17: Dinosaurists and Nokia

* * *

 _In the Sistermon gym..._

Richard watched, as Sun and Bolt trained in the gym with strenuous effort, as their partners are trying to ensure that their partners don't over-exert themselves, while Sistermons Noir and Blanc cheered them forward, while Ciel barked out training orders like a drill sergeant.

"Give me some more attacking, and then give me a 10-lap sprint around this entire gym! I'm not going to coddle you as much as my sisters!" Ciel ordered in a sharp voice. "You want to get your Digivolutions, then you better exert every drop of your blood and sweat for that opportunity, do you understand!?"

Sun and Bolt nodded back, as they seemed to be beginning to feel fatigue from how long they have been doing this physically-taxing training routine, as they did a few mock blows, before they ran around the arena like Ciel has instructed them to.

"Good... That should be a good enough pace to get them evolving faster." Richard commented on the training.

"Richard... Are, Are you crazy!?" Gus cried in outrage. "I know that the Digimon are more capable of physical work than us by a huge margin, but even they have their limits! What you're suggesting is pushing them beyond them."

"Exactly. I want that." Richard stated. "This isn't the time to loitering around. Under Zero is coming, Gus, and I am going to make sure that we're damn well prepared for what is to come, no matter what. If you want some comforting facts, I've only told Ciel to train them until they're at the stop-gap to make the jump to their Beast Spirit forms, i.e their Ultimate equivalent. And once the Digivolution happens, it'll clear away all current physical fatigue, so this session will be merely a short moment of pain and agony, following by a rush of bliss, comfort, and power."

"But even if we managed to get there, how are you going to find the Beast Spirits?" Antonio asked. "Sanae told us that she believes that there's no actual way to obtain the Beast Spirtis in this world."

"Wrong. There is a way, but I had to call in a favour from Fei, since I helped her out back in Kowloon." Richard said. "I've been looking for a certain group that possess the Beast Spirit forms of the respective elements for our two new Hybrids."

There was a message chime alert on Richard's Digivice, as he was sent a URL that would lead him to the hideout of the Dinosaurists, as Richard smiled.

"Just as expected." Richard smirked, as he turned to Reimu and Sanae. "Reimu, Sanae. I want you girls to come with me. It's high time that your partners kick some real ass. Those Dinosaurists are going to give me the Beast Spirits they have been withholding, or else I'll beat it out of them. And you're free to rob them of every single possession and material wealth as you so wish, Reimu, if they try to refuse me my deserved prize."

"Really? Well, if that's what you're going to offer me..." Reimu asked back, as she smiled back with a interested look in her eyes.

"Well, I did want to see what a Territory Battle would be like up close and personal." Sanae muttered to herself, then smiling brightly. "Let's go!"

Richard, Reimu and Sanae left the gym, as they took the nearest server transfer pad, and disappeared, leaving Sun and Bolt at the mercy of Sistermon Ciel, who was training them quite crazily.

* * *

 _In the Dinosaurist hideout..._

Richard examined the entire hideout, as it was the usual digital maze that the servers within Digital Space would be, except there were a lot of hackers affiliated with the group, and there were holographic emblems of the hacker team, which were a roaring black T-Rex grappling a large red D in its hands.

"I guess you girls know what's the game here?" Richard asked them. "Go on, I think that it's obvious, but there's no shame in guessing wrong, since there are a few meaning that could be easily misinterpreted here."

"Let me guess, these emblems of theirs act as banners to a army, to boost their morale." Reimu suggested her answer.

"Bingo!" Richard snapped his fingers, with a nod. "So the counter to this? We take their banners, and we erect our emblem over their own. As we take their emblems one by one, their morale will slowly wane, and this will extend to the leader of the team, since being routed on all sides is most definitely not inspiring at all for them."

Richard then summoned Kuro, as the shrine maidens summoned Ran and Aya in front of them, as they made their way down. They then made their way to a unguarded emblem, as Richard did a quick hack, as the Dinosaurist emblem disappeared, and was replaced by the neon-blue butterfly symbol of Hudie.

"One down, a few more to go!" Richard cheerfully declared, before he noticed a few enemy hackers coming their way. "Oh? Trying to take back your sector? Not on my watch!"

The hackers sent out various dinosaur-like Digimon, as they ranged from Rookies to even Ultimates, as Ran, Kuro and Aya stood in their way.

"Let's thin the herd a little, eh, Kuro?" Richard joked. "Kuro, Dark Terra Force."

Kuro immediately summoned and lobbed his ball of dark fire energy at the advancing Digimon group, as it damaged the entire group as a whole, outright wiping almost half of the forces, while the others are weakened.

"You will not get in the way of our ambition." Ran declared with coldness, as she lifted her giant ink-brush. "Tailsman of Light."

Taomon then chanted in a ancient language, as she wrote the sanskrit character 'Hum' in the air with black ink strokes, before it then glowed red, as she hurled it towards the Digimon group, resulting in a explosion that took out even more of the attacking Digimon.

"My turn! Shadow Wing!" Aya cried, as she flew into the air, as she created a massive bird-shaped fire-projectile, that destroyed the lastof the Digimon coming their way.

As soon as their Digimon were destroyed, the hackers immediately turned tail and fled, screaming and crying in fear at the abominable force that were facing.

"Heh. Bunch of weaklings. Shame even with their emblems providing them with the psychological and physical boost for their Digimon, they still don't hold a light compared the immense power we have accumulated." Richard snorted, before he looked around, noticing more hackers that are actually guarding their team's emblems. "How cute, they're trying to resist. Too bad it's their fault for possessing something that I am truly after."

Richard and his group immediately tore through the guardians of each emblem battle after battle, as the Dinosaurists emblems fell one by one, and were replaced by Hudie symbols, as Richard stepped onto the highest platform of the digital maze, which had the leader of Dinosaurists, which was a hacker dressed in a blue hooded jacket.

"We're the strongest and meanest in EDEN! We are Dinosaurists! We'll make you feel true fear!" The leader roared at them. "Scram now, or we'll cream you!"

"True fear? We?" Richard asked back mockingly, before he laughed loudly, as the leader was set off by it. "Look around you, fool, the emblems are all mine, and your teammates are crushed under my heel with little effort. When can someone like you do against me and my team? Struggle? Go ahead. It'll mean that I'll have what I want in my hands."

The leader looked around, as he gasped when he saw that every single of his team's emblems were now of Hudie's, as he was felt with a sense of dread, looking back at the people responsible for it.

"Y-You don't scare me!" The leader stuttered, trying to look brave and fearless. "I still got my trump cards! This is the end of your invasion into our turf!"

The hacker then summoned BurningGreymon, a dragon Digimon with avian characteristics, its head almost entirely covered by silver helmet with crimson stripes, an emblem, and Greymon horns on it. It has flaming, feathered wings and sharp claws on each of its limbs, and its muscular body is covered with crimson armor, inlaid with silver panels and gold etchings. Both of its forearms are equipped with triangular, golden superweapons called "Rudriya Darpaṇa", and its thick tail is armoured, and KendoGarurumon, which was a armoured version of Garurumon, with Lobomon's helmet, and twin golden wings on its back, as well as the sabers of light being fused into a two-sided blade in its mouth.

"Yes... Come to papa..." Richard chuckled creepily. "Soon, your Spirits will have much more worthy masters..."

Kuro then immediately slammed a Wolkenapalm into BunringGreymon, sending the draconic Digimon back a few feet in the air, leaving a large burn mark on the place where the strike hit it, as the armour was worn down by the heat, while Taomon fired off a ball of dark energy that struck KendoGarurumon, flipping it over like a turtle on its back, before it jumped back on its feet, although severely weakened by the attack on its weakness.

The BurningGreymon tried to retailiate using Meteor Fall, although the group took out the burning meteors before they even got close to them, as Kuro batted them away with a single claw strike, and Aya used her wings to blow the rest out of their path, and KendoGarurumon lunged at them with its saber glowing, only to be countered by a Shadow Wing from Aya, which sent it slamming into the ground, completely defeated, releasing the Beast Spirit of Light, which was a statuette of KendoGarurumon, much like the Human Spirit of Light was one of Lobomon's armour.

"What...!?" The leader cried, as he was shocked that his Digimon were being so easily taken down by the people before him.

"You were meant to lose either way." Richard chuckled darkly. "Face it, you've already lost."

Kuro then jumped into the air, executing a Black Tornado onto BurningGreymon, as he literally drilled through the opposing Dragon Digimon, as it exploded into data from the massive overkill, leaving behind the Beast Spirit of Fire, with a statuette of BurningGreymon on it.

"Thank you very much. I guess you're living up to your reputation... until you faced us." Richard taunted the leader, as he took the Beast Spirits without any haste or rush. "Consider my taking of your Beast Spirits as a fair exchange of annihilating your pitiful little hacker group. ZAXON ordered me here, so consider this as a act of mercy you should be grateful of."

Richard then flicked his hand from his head in a mock 'see ya' gesture, as he left the area, while the leader was left gaping in shock of the beating that he and his team were given.

* * *

 _In the Sistermon Gym..._

Richard then returned to the gym, to find that Sun and Bolt were both down on the ground flat, as they were panting and huffing heavily from their exhaustion, while their partners tended to them as well as they could, while Ciel was waiting for Richard to return, as she turned to him upon their entrance.

"Took you long enough." Ciel commented. "Just like you asked, two well-prepared Digimon to Digivolve. I hope that you're grateful of what I have done for you. Because these boys aren't giving me much of it."

"Yeah, I guess that you're a better trainer than your two sisters." Richard agreed, as he was glared upon by Noir and Blanc, who took offence of the quote, but didn't do anything else. "But I guess that it was a team effort. Noir and Blanc did help, or else it would be much more harder to achieve it alone, no?"

"Fair enough. Call me again in the gym if you need to make your Digimon stronger than ever before." Ciel smield, as Noir and Blanc were placated by Richard's hidden compliment to them.

Richard then came over to Gus and Antonio, who were just done sending their Digimon partners into their Digivices.

"Alright, time's up." Richard said. "Like I said, I have come with the Beast Spirits. Now's the time to Digivolve."

They then entered the server transfer pad, to head for the DigiLab, before they came back, with Sun and Kuro evolved into their Beast Spirit forms, like the ones that Richard beat for said item essential to obtain the new forms, and they left EDEN to check up on Keisuke in the real world.

* * *

 _In the internet cafe, Hudie..._

Richard returned with the group, as they witnessed Keisuke leaving his booth, as the latter noticed the smile on Richard's face.

"What's gotten you so happy, Richard? Something miraculous happened?" Keisuke asked Richard in a polite manner.

"You could say so. I've got a early power-up for the team." Richard answered back. "If you're planning to join the Under Zero raid, then I can safely tell you now that we are very prepared for what we might have to deal with."

"Alright, as for me... I managed to track down Akira Hosaka with Yu, although... Yu was acting strange all that time... He deleted Hosaka's account with his own hands, and was talking about 'Vanguards' and punishing all hackers, even telling me to leave Hudie." Keisuke said. "I really wonder what made him change so much-"

Their conversation was interrupted by the ringing of Keisuke's phone, as Keisuke picked up the call, as he listened for a while, before his eyes widened in utter fear, as he suddenly hung up the call, and pocketed his phone hastily.

"Chitose has been kidnapped! I don't know by who, but by the sounds of it, things won't end well if I don't come to a agreed spot in Kowloon!" Keisuke exclaimed. "They told me to come alone, but I worry about if it is a trap to get rid of both of us..."

"Then let me, Gus and Antonio come with you." Richard answered back. "I'll have the two hide, while I stay by your side. If it's really a trap, then Gus and Antonio will be there nearby to bail us out. Trust us, we won't let anything happen to either of you. We're Hudie, a team, remember?"

"A team... Yeah." Keisuke smiled, being touched by Richard's care for his friends. "Let's go. I remember that the spot is blocked by a..."

* * *

 _In the third floor of Kowloon..._

"...A fucking level-Gamma firewall!?" Richard swore profusely, as he stood before the red security firewall, as he was biting his lip in a attempt to bottle his rage towards the obstacle before him. "For all fucking sake... This will take so long to get through, even when Kuro could level a Level-Beta firewall with a single Dark Terra Force! The difference between them is so much larger than you think!"

Gus and Antonio looked at each other, as they were not surprised by Richard's rage, while Keisuke shook his head in disappointment.

"Yeah... Who knows what would happen to Chitose by then? We have to find a way to beat it quick." Keisuke stated.

"Here's how." Richard stated, as he summoned Kuro. "Kuro, Black Tornado the fuck of this annoying wall! And you two, help deal with it as well! We're supposed to be working together!"

"Oh, right!" Gus cried, as they summoned Sun and Bolt, who began unleashing blow after blow on the firewall, as they evaded the slow and predictable self-defence laser blasts.

After a long time fighting the firewall, it is destroyed, as Richard puts Kuro back into his Digivice, as he groaned with frustration.

"Finally! Let's move, move, move!" Richard shouted impatiently, as he sprinted across the pathway.

They soon made their way to the location where Chitose was held, as they noticed a yellow elevator that would take them to where Chitose was.

"Wait here. If you hear me cry, 'Bring it!', take the elevator, and help us fight." Richard said.

Gus and Antonio nodded, as they idled behind the elevator, as Keisuke and Richard took the elevator, as they approached Chitose, who was sat down, with his hands tied together behind his back.

"Keisuke? Richard?" Chitose asked, before he then noticed something behind them. "Behind you both!"

The duo turn around, as they saw that they were being surrounded by a few hackers, who blocked their path to any exits, as they looked around to identify the leader of the group.

"I knew it! Keisuke, let's trash them here and now-" Richard was about to say, pulling out his Digivice to summon Kuro to his side.

"Wahahaha...!" A familiar female voice, trying to use a evil and high-pitched tone, before it then coughed a little, reverting to a more normal tone. "Huh? I'm not really feeling it. Can you try it again?"

"What the? Who is that?" Keisuke asked, as he looked around for whoever was talking. "Wait, could it be...!?"

"Hohoho... Oh dear, you are amusing!" The voice chortled, before she then growled as if something went wrong. "Argh! Okay, start over from the beginning!"

"Yep. We know who it is." Richard answered back.

"WAHAHA HO HO HO HA HA HA!" The voice shrieked in laughter, this time much more evil-sounding than before. "How foolish it was for you to come here all without your friends! Still, I admire your courage and spirit! The ones who took your friend are known as the Hacker Kidnapping Group, the 'Dark Rebels'! And the queen of this dark faction, her heart born from beauty, destruction, and ...errrr Darkness, is none other than myself!"

Naoki then appeared in front of them, as she climbed on top of one of the structures, striking a majestic pose with her hands on her hips

"Hell Akkino, at your serviceeee-" Naoki was about to declare, before she then took a good look at Keisuke and Richard, as her form faltered, and her expression changed from one of confidence, into one of confusion. "...Huh?"

"...Nokia Shiramine... Well, it seems that you have surprised us there." Richard stated calmly. "Get down, I want to talk."

Nokia remained silent, before she then complied, hopping down and walking towards them, as Chitose's expression was one of pure shock and surprise, as his expression was completely aghast, as Richard crossed his arms.

"Now then, what's with the kidnapping of our buddy, Chitose?" Richard asked back strictly. "You know that I almost ordered Kuro to wipe the floor with your hired goons, before you made your grand and majestic entrance. What were you trying to do? Doing a popularity stunt like this is not cool at all, you'd get a lot of hostility if you go around kidnapping hackers who are buddies with each other."

"But I... I..." Nokia stated. "I just wanted to look cool like David and the others. They really looked so cool when they finished off the evil Digimon who were messing around this place. I just wanted to do this once-off. So please, let me finish what I have to do..."

Richard looked at Nokia with a stoic expression, as Nokia's expression was a begging one, as she had her hands clasped in front of her, and she flashed her most pitiful eyes at Richard, as the boy looked at her for a moment, then at the group around her, and then smiled.

"Alright, if you really want to look cool, then I'll give you a real big fight." Richard answered back with a smile. "After all, you must want to show your new power to everyone. And I have just the right people for it. Bring it!"

On the voiced signal, Gus and Antonio took the elevator up, as they passed through the group of hackers under Nokia's orders, as the approached Nokia.

"Oh, it's you, the one we meet in the Sistermon gym, Nokia, right?" Gus asked. "How did the training results go for you? Do you feel any closer with Agumon and Gabumon?"

As soon as their names were mentioned, the two Rookie Digimon appeared in front of the pink-haired girl.

"Yeah! We also managed to get much more better and cooler forms than before!" Agumon stated with excitement. "Nokia told us that we'll get to show off our new power when we fight you guys."

"Wait... Richard... Keisuke... you guys..." Chitose asked back, finally unable to stand his curiosity of the strange event before him. "What is going on here?"

Keisuke then explained in good detail about the Sistermon gym case, about how they met Nokia, and how they manage to awaken a sense of true love and friendship in Nokia, that allowed her partner Digimons to evolve into Champion forms, and how they have never seen her again after that, and they were surprised by seeing her again in this strange coincidence.

"So that's how you know her..." Chitose answered back, as he smiled gently. "Still, it's nice to be kidnapped by a girl like her. Was it because of my gentlemanly behaviour, or my handsome looks?"

"Probably neither. She might have spun the bottle randomly to pick a person to kidnap from a hacker team." Richard bluntly stated, as Chitose adopted a hurt expression from the disappointment he felt hearing that, before he turned back to Nokia. "Alright, then hit me with what you got, Nokia. We'll give you a worthy fight! Keisuke, let Gus and Antonio take this fight as well. You just sit back, and untie Chitose from his bonds."

Richard then summoned Kuro, while Sun and Bolt came out in their new forms, their BurningGreymon and KendoGarurumon forms, as both Gabumon and Agumon were shocked.

"Wow! Is this another path we can take in Digivolution?" Gabumon asked with astonishment at the powerful forms of their opponents. "I want to look like that more than our form."

"Sorry, but you won't be able to normally Digivolve into these forms." Antonio stated with a sincere tone and a shake of his head. "Richard said that these forms are only obtained by using special items that allow these Digivolutions. Would you believe that Bolt was actually in his alternate Champion form just a little while ago? And this is his Ultimate-Level form now?"

"Woah, you must have trained your friends harder than how you trained Agumon and Gabumon earlier!" Nokia exclaimed in sheer surprise, before she then calmed herself. "Alright, since you're ready to fight, let me get back into my 'Hell Akkino' persona..."

Nokia's expression then changed to a more sinister one with a evil smirk plastered on her face. "I like your confidence! Well then, you will have your wish!" She spoke in a malicious tone. "Come forth! The beast born at PO Box 365, Infernal Pits, Hell!"

Agumon and Gabumon then Digivolved on the spot under Nokia's command, as Agumon turned into WarGreymon, while Gabumon turned into MetalGarurumon, which was a armoured version of his Garurumon form, with purple-grey cybernetic armour covering most of his body, as well as having a golden blade on his tail, as well as two diagonally-slotted golden wings with yellow light forming spikes above them. They both growled at the group.

"He he, now you finally see what kind of an opponent you have lost your friend to!" Nokia cackled. "No amount of regret can delay the festival of pain that awaits! Prepare to take a happy stroll along the banks of Hell itself! Unless you wish to pay the ransom for your friend, as I will spare your pitiful lives!"

"Name your price, Hell Akkino." Richard stated. "What will it take for you to return our friend in one piece?"

"You will hand over 5,000 yen!" Nokia declared with a evil laugh. "For students like you, it will be quite painful. So what will it be, your friend or your money?"

"Miss Akkino... I... think they can probably come up with it." One of Nokia's underlings told her. "I really think that 5,000 yen is too low, we need more than that...

"Yasusu! That's 100 points off you!" Nokia strictly scolded her underling, Yasusu.

"B-But why!?" Yasusu asked back surprised.

"If we get 5,000 yen, we can buy plenty of food for Agumon and Gabumon!" Nokia stated. "I told you, didn't I! We're not hackers! We're tamers! Some hackers treat Digimon like simple data and don't even feed them right, but we're different! Our job as tamers is to raise the quality of the Digimons' lives, to constantly improve their BBQ! But how do we do it!? Money! Tamers need money! Even love requires money! You can buy friendship and wisdom with money! That's the age we were born into! The world is poison! You can't leave your fate to anyone else!"

Richard was surprised to hear Nokia's speech about how money was associated with love, friendship and all human values, as he then smiled at the fact that Nokia did all of this for a justifiable and benevolent goal, even if the means are questionable.

"P-Please! Forgive meeee!" Yasusu cried, as he fell to his knees, as he was crying in pure regret at what he said earlier, touched by Nokia's statement. "I was wrong! I'm a stupid fooolll! I'll change my way of thinking! In fact, I'll pay you 5,000 yen! Please let me pay!"

"I'm finally glad you understand, Yasusu!" Nokia replied back, happy at her underling's heart-felt apology. "You've grown! For that, I give you 100 million points!"

"All right!" Yasusu cried with joy to the skies.

"Miss Akkino, I don't mean to ruin the mood, but the amount is really too low... After all, this IS a kidnapping." Another hacker in the group told Nokia. "It has to be at least 6 figures..."

"You mean like 100,000 yen!?" Nokia cried in shock, appalled at the suggestion. "Impossible! I can't possibly take that much! I don't even get that much for Christmas! That will be too cruel! I could buy ten pieces of Kobe beef with that kind of money! I only want some money, not drain them entirely of their money!'

' _Nokia... You're so cute, trying to act so evil, yet still trying to uphold a certain line of morality. If you were a villain, you would be one with absolutely high publicity for your ethnics for doing all of this. Hell, people might even root for you!_ ' Richard thought in satisfaction, as he was happy to see a person who actually cares among this world of selfish hackers.

He then sighed, before he then crossed his arms. "Sorry, Hell Akkino, it's a no-go. There is no way that I could place a value on the life of my friend, Chitose!" Richard cried in a brave and confident tone. "For the sake of my friend, I shall defeat you and save him from your clutches, O queen of darkness among this digital haven!"

Nokia was surprised by Richard's show of emotion, in order to act out her role properly in front of everyone, before she then smiled.

"You say that you can't come up with the money, eh?" Nokia chuckled darkly. "We got your friend, Chitose, as hostage, and you dare take that attitude!? Do you take us as fools!? In that case, it's ON! See if you can take him back by force! Attack, my dear demons of hell!"

Nokia pointed forward, as WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon advanced forward, preparing for the fight.

"I accept your challenge! Let me show you the power of the hacker team Hudie, born from the stardust of the havens!" Richard declared. "Advance, my strongest warrior, Kuro! Advance, our sun and moon! Sun! Bolt!"

The three Digimon advanced in front to face their opponents, as Sun seemed to be staring into WarGreymon's eyes.

"I hope that neither of us will be defeated by this." Sun said in a worried tone. "I really don't want to watch you all fade away because we deleted you by accident."

"Well now, Miss Akkino, since you have resorted to force, then I can't hold back!" Bolt cried. "Come at me, my powerful doppelganger!"

"We won't lose to you either!" MetalGarurumon roared back.

"MetalGarurumon! Freezing Breath!" Nokia cried, as her Digimon obeyed the order, as he opened his mouth, firing off a cold torrent of blue icy energy, which slammed into Kuro, as the BlackWarGreymon was forced to block with his own shield in order to not be hit hard enough to be knocked off his feet, although he was knocked back a few feet.

"Ungh! Been a while since I have had a fight with someone my own size and level!" Kuro cried.

"Don't get cocky, you three!" Richard warned them. "They're Megas, and what's more is that they're not your typical trained Digimon! They make the other owned Digimon laughing-stocks, so don't let your guard down, even for a second!"

"Got it! I'll handle this as I dreamed of, Speed Star!" Bolt roared, as he immediately thrusted forward, before leaping into the air, as the blades in his mouth activated, as he swooped down, and cut through MetalGarurumon, forcing the armoured wolf Digimon to be knocked down by the blow, but not defeated.

"Eat this! Great Tornado!" WarGreymon shouted, as he leapt into the air, before spinning himself around into the same position as Kuro did when he used his Black Tornado move, as Kuro smirked.

"Trying to attack me with one of my own specialities? We'll see who's going to bow out first! Black Tornado!" Kuro declared, as he jumped up, and turned into a black twister, as the two opposing cyclones of metal and flesh met each other mid-air, as they pushed against each other, with neither giving away from each other, as sparks flew from where their attacks met from the sheer friction of the clash.

"I'll finish this before Kuro finishes his own opponent! Sorry, Gabumon, but I won't go easy on you!" Sun declared, as he immediately prepared his special move. "Corona Blaster!"

He then lowered his arms, as the golden triangular weapons on his arms dropped down, exposing large barrels, as he fired off a barrage of fiery projectiles on every single part of MetalGarurumon's body, as it wears down him further, as he is floored again, and barely able to get up and remain standing.

"Whoa... So this is the power of these forms..." MetalGarurumon muttered tiredly, as he looked up to where WarGreymon and Kuro were continuing their deadlock of their attacks. "I never thought that this power would be greater than what we are right now."

Bolt then walked forward, as he was going to land the finishing blow on MetalGarurumon.

"Hey, Gabumon. I just wanted to say that I'm actually quite happy to see someone like you, because being with you gives me a sense of competition and a will to push beyond my limits, so that I can surpass someone who is of the same roots as myself." Bolt stated, before he then lowered his head. "But there can only be one fastest Digimon here, and that's going to be me. I don't care how long it will take, I will achieve that title with the help of my friends, both Digimon and tamer... I want to end this with a single decisive strike."

MetalGarurumon remained silent, as he acknowledged Bolt's challenge, before he then revealed several golden missile launchers on his shoulders, as well as a large warhead on the hatch in his chest. "If you're so fast, then try and dodge this! Grace Cross Freezer!" MetalGarurumon roared, as every single missile in his body was fired off, leading to a large salvo of missiles aimed at Bolt.

Bolt immediately sprinted forward on his legs, as he dodged side to side, while using his blade to cut apart several of the incoming missiles, before he then leapt over the massive warhead, as he then shot down from the skies, slashing right through MetalGarurumon, as he fell down, finally defeated.

"I... I lost..." MetalGarurumon said, before his eyes slowly closed with a satisfied smile. "But at least... it was a nice fight..."

MetalGarurumon immediately transformed back into Gabumon in his unconsciousness, while Nokia recalled him back into her Digivice.

Meanwhile, Kuro was slowly getting an upper hand, after holding the stalemate for so long, as he immediately thrusted WarGreymon away with a single piercing blow, sending the large Digimon flying back, as Kuro straightened himself back up.

"It seems that you're quite strong for a Mega. I never thought that this would be the difference between a normal Mega and myself." Kuro stated. "Even though the difference might not be much, I am still satisfied to see that I have surpassed the limits of a Mega-level Digimon with the help of Richard. And now, I'll show you my strongest attack, in respect for your power and strength, Agumon."

"Same to you... Kuro. I won't lose this easily either! You're going to have to put me down much harder than Gabumon to beat me!" Agumon roared back with bravery.

Kuro then lifted his hand, as WarGreymon did the same, declaring their attacks.

"Terra Force!/Dark Terra Force!" Wargreymon and Kuro respectively declared, as their large balls of fiery energy appeared above them, as WarGreymon's one was light-orange, while Kuro's dark-orange one stood against it. They threw their balls of destruction, much to the shock and awe of the hacker underling crowd, as they watched with pure intrigue, as the two attacks pushed against each other, resulting in a power struggle between them much like their physical clash earlier.

Both of the Digimon were exerting their power into their ultimate attacks, as they were groaning and growling, as they were beginning to feel exhaustion, while their attacks got bigger and bigger, as the hackers and tamers backed away to allow space for their growing struggle, before they reached their limits, as WarGreymon was left unable to push further, while Kuro was barely keeping himself up by a bare thread of his stamina.

"Heh... Heh..." Kuro huffed with a triumphant smile. "I guess I win this one... Even then... I appreciate how much you have put into this fight. I never had one as close and as great as this one for a long time with Richard..."

"I guess... I need to get stronger..." Wargreymon answered back with a nod, as his attack was slowly being pushed back. "I guess... that's it, huh?"

Kuro's Dark Terra Force then pushed Wargreymon's Terra Force back at him, as the Digimon was forced to grapple his own attack to prevent it from pushing him onto the ground, only to be unable to do so, as the attacks collided on the ground, and caused a massive explosion that lit the vicinity with a blinding light.

When the light was cleared, Agumon was seen in the middle of a steaming crater, completely defeated, and surprisingly unharmed except for his own exhaustion, as Kuro landed on the ground.

"Well... I guess even to now... I'm still... unbeatable..." Kuro panted, before he then lost consciousness, as he fell onto his knees and his head drooped.

Richard then returned Kuro to the Digivice, as the fighting tamers returned their Digimon into their own Digivices, as Richard was smiling in a respectful manner.

"I guess you aren't faking your words, 'Hell Akkino'." Richard stated. "Truly, your beasts have merely suffered a close loss. Had it been done again, you might actually have won. I admire your strength, and your bond with your 'demons'. You may have lost here, but know that you have earned my respect."

Nokia was happy at Richard's compliment, as she smiled.

"Thank you... Richard." Nokia said. "I'm happy to see that me and my Digimon have come so far with the help of you and the Sistermon... And the help of my friends of course!"

Keisuke then looked at Chitose, who was quite surprised to see what had happened in front of him.

"Chitose... I think that you're free now." Keisuke said. "Come on, let's return to Hudie..."

"I... I'm sorry for pranking you guys." Chitose apologised, as he seemed to feel guilty for tricking his friends, as Richard was forced to play along with it to help Nokia's confidence in acting this out. "This was just merely a prank. I... I really didn't expect you to take this seriously, Richard and you guys... Especially how you did it..."

"It's alright, Chitose." Gus answered back in a forgiving tone. "We forgive you for all of it. After all, this fight furthered the bond between our Digimon and us. The bonds between Digimon and tamer can only be strengthened in the midst of battle, where trust is the vital factor, right?"

"I... Yeah. That's quite right." Chitose answered back with a relieved smile, before he frowned. "But in truth, I did this so that I could get you guys without gathering the attention of Ryuji..."

"Why? Something wrong with him?" Antonio asked, as he was concerned by the sudden change of mood, as Richard frowned as well.

"Tell me, Chitose. Have you reached the same conclusion as I did?" Richard answered back, before he sighed deeply. "Ryuji's has been betraying us for a while, for Kamishiro... For Rie Kishibe?"

Nokia, Gus and Antonio gasped at hearing the shocking truth, as Chitose grimly nodded.

"I guess you figured it out by yourself?" Chitose asked.

"Yeah... I found everything he done with the job fishy. When I confronted him with what I have deduced, he snapped, and slugged me in the face, before leaving." Richard answered back with a slow nod. "That's why my face was bruised back then. Because of that."

"Richard... You..." Gus stated, as Richard raised a hand for him to stop talking.

"So the only choice here for you, is to join the Rebels, and so that you can stop Ryuji in time?" Richard asked.

"...Are you going to stop me? You seemed so fond about helping all of us, and keeping Hudie's image as good as possible." Chitose asked back. "I don't ask you to agree with what I am doing, but at least understand that I did this since Erika's life is on the line as well. I can't let Ryuji do this to himself."

Richard remained silent, before he then bowed his head down slightly, as he turned around. "Go." Richard stated in a stiff and controlled tone, trying to hide back his sorrow and pain from Chitose's leave. "I won't stop you. I understand how determined you are to do this, Chitose. But I want you to promise me one thing... Whatever you do, come back to us... Although Erika is not so interested in you, she still cares for you the same, so please... For everyone's sake, come back to us in one piece. I swear, if you get jumped by a wandering Eater while you are with them, I will strangle whoever is responsible for whoever is responsible for doing this, and you know I can back that promise up. So promise me, Chitose... please."

Chitose then remained silent, as he acknowledged Richard's feeling before he then crossed his arm over his chest.

"I swear it, Richard." Chitose answered back. "I swear it to everyone here, especially you, Keisuke. We still haven't solved your case, so there is no way I'm going to just vanish without being there to help you."

"...Then you know where I will be, Chitose." Richard answered back in a strained tone, as he began to walk. "Come on, Gus, Antonio... It's time to leave this place. We have to prepare."

The group then walked, as Richard then took one last look at Nokia, to say something.

"Nokia... As a member of Hudie, and Chitose's companion... Please... protect him, no matter what. Hudie cannot be the same without one of its members..." Richard asked back in a pleading tone.

"I... I will! Don't worry! David, Sachiko and all the others will do their best to protect him!" Nokia shouted with determination.

Richard then turned back, as he smiled. "Thank you..." Richard muttered under his breath, before he took the elevator down to the main floor, as he left the Kowloon server with his friends.


	19. Chapter 18: Under Zero, Butterfly Side

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 18: Under Zero, The Promised Land, Path of the Diverging Butterfly

* * *

 _In the Sistermon Gym..._

Sun and Bolt were back on their routine of training in the gym, as Richard has instructed them, wanting for them to reach their Ultimate Spirit Forms as quickly as possible.

"Just a bit more..." Richard stated, as his eyes were fixed on the two Spirit Digimons. "Just a bit more, and we'll have our next Megas..."

Soon enough, Sun and Bolt stopped their training, as they fell onto their knees, a condition much better than their last training session, while Ciel was dusting her hands off and clearing her throat from the hoarseness she felt from barking training commands repetitively.

"That should be enough." Ciel stated. "Say, what got you all tense all the sudden? Sure, asking me once for the hardest course of training I could devise is reasonable enough, since you want to catch up to the next Digivolution threshold, but twice? And in successive sessions? That raises a few questions. You better answer, or I'm going to personally Love Punch you for being negligent of the health and fitness of your friends' Digimons."

"Alright, I'll tell you." Richard answered back, while Gus and Antonio returned their Digimon partners back into their Digivice, to prepare for Digivolution when they head for the DigiLab. "We're about to fight a very hard battle, and we need to have the strongest Digimon we can, because losing there means the end of everything, EDEN, the Digital World, the Real World outside, every single being that ever existed in flesh and data."

"Then why only these two?" Ciel questioned further, frowning slightly. "You had your friends Ran and Aya, who were training as well, but you didn't put them in with me. Why is that?"

"Because Sun and Bolt are my current trump cards. Kuro is one, but having one trump card will not do where I'm going to fight at." Richard answered back. "Digivolution will relieve Digimon of their current injuries and fatigue like a miracle cure. I plan to use that ability to ensure that my Digimon Friends will be in tip-top shape for when the fated battle comes. We cannot run, so we will face it head on. Would Gankoomon not praise such determined spirit to grow stronger, for the sake of all Digimon and those who live? A purpose to their journey of strength?"

Ciel remained silent, before she then turned away with a click of her tongue. "Perhaps so, but you've been pushing them too far recently. You better not tell me to do this again, because I will most definitely refuse the next time you request me."

"This will be the last time for a while I ask of your services, and I am already beyond grateful for what you have done for me." Richard stated. "I owe you a favour now for it, any time you wish."

"Well then... Now that you say that..." Ciel said, as she rubbed her chin in thought. "...Nah. I'll tell you what I want when I decided what your favour will be used for."

"And I will fulfil it to the best of my abilities, which makes most things very much possible." Richard stated. "Remember that, because I will never go back on my word."

Richard then left the gym, as Gus and Antonio followed after him, as they left EDEN.

* * *

 _In the real world..._

Richard then took off his EDEN visor, as he noticed Ryuji waiting outside of it.

"Richard. We need to talk." Ryuji stated. "Come with me. Gus, Antonio. Just stay here for a while."

Richard then glared back at Ryuji before he replied back. "Fine. Where?" He asked in a calm and controlled tone, then turning to his friends. "Don't worry, you two. I'll be back soon."

Ryuji didn't speak, as he left Hudie, while Richard followed after him, as they stopped inside the lobby inside Central Hospital.

"Chitose has left me, because he knew what I was doing. Did you have any part in making him realise this?" Ryuji asked back.

"Whatever he found was not of my actions. He found you out yourself. You should have been a little more careful walking around." Richard answered back in a unpleasant tone.

"So are you going to leave the team like Chitose?" Ryuji asked, before his expression darkened with cold rage. "Or are you not?"

"No. But not because I'm doing for you, especially with you, our 'leader', betraying the values we represent with a shitty deal just to prolong Erika's life." Richard darkly stated, glaring back at Ryuji with resentment. "I'm doing this, because I'm going to pick up the slack that Chitose left for the team,and I will make sure that Hudie will stay as the benevolent being that it is known as. I'm doing this so that Erika can breathe easy, knowing that everyone hasn't gone to shit, because. OF. YOU."

"I'm not cutting my ties with Kamishiro, no matter what you say." Ryuji stated back. "I need Kamishiro's... Kishibe's support."

"So what!? SO WHAT!?" Richard roared throwing his arms out in fury. "So that she'll become Kishibe's pawn in the future! Get real, you hare-brained bastard of a brother! What you're doing is not saving your little sister Erika's life! It's prolonging her damn suffering! You think that she'll just miraculously get better from repeated treatment? Do you!? NO! Because of your damn selfish actions, she's going to end up being used by Kishibe as a fucking mother unit, because you just can't see more than the words 'Save your sister'! Your shortsighted actions will doom her eventually!"

"...Richard? Ryuji?" Erika asked, as she appeared from the midst of the crowd, as they turned to her, as she heard everything they have said, as her expression fell into one of guilt and sadness. "...So then it's true... All I have heard..."

"Erika..." Ryuji stated in a sincere tone. "I..."

"I had the feeling something was going on... That you were up to something dangerous for me." Erika continued. "It's fine, Ryuji... Just let it be. Don't worry about me. I'm... fine..."

"You're not fine!" Ryuji shouted back in anger. 'It was for you that I-!"

"Then you can just stop... I don't want it anymore..." Erika stated in a much more melancholic tone. "...To live in expense of others..."

"You don't want to live!?" Ryuji yelled. "Don't you dare say that! I won't listen to you say that!"

Ryuji then turned away, as he stomped away, with a pained expression on his face, and his fists clenched by his sides.

"Ryuji, wait! I...!" Erika was about to say, before she then suddenly fell to her knees, as her nose began to bleed, and her head felt like a immense pressure was being pushed on it. "I... I... Unnnhhh..."

Erika then fell to the ground, as Ryuji was frightened by the sudden worsening of her condition, as Richard was shocked by the sudden development as well, as he rushed to Erika as well.

"ERIKA!" They both cried, as they got Erika up, as they saw that her nose will still bleeding even unconscious.

"Doctor! DOCTOR! Where are the doctors? Erika's sick again! She's bleeding in her nose! The sickness is acting up!" Richard yelled for help. "Somebody... HELP HER, PLEASE!"

The doctors and medical staff came quite quickly, to both of their relief, as they hoisted her onto a gurney, as they moved her into the treatment room, as they initiated the digital treatment to ease her illness.

Ryuji and Richard looked at Erika, as she looked more at peace, as her pain and pressure were slowly fading away in her sleep.

"Watch over her for me..." Ryuji stated, as he turned around.

"What the... HEY!" Richard cried, as he whipped around to face Ryuji. "Where the hell do you think you're going now!?"

"I need to clear my head-" Ryuji was about to say.

"I call bullshit." Richard hissed. "You're planning to go to Under Zero, aren't you?"

Ryuji remained silent, as Richard rushed at him.

"Don't you dare. Don't you FUCKING dare! Do you not goddamn realise why Under Zero has been left for so long? And why Arata is against the notion!?' Richard cried. "If you break that damn lock! Everything will go to hell! EVERYTHING! And it'll be all be because of you! How are you going to bear ruining EDEN permanently, and the lives taken, huh!? HUH!?"

Ryuji didn't even listen, as he continued walking, as he left the hospital, as Richard didn't even move to stop him.

"Ryuji... You idiot..." Richard muttered under his breath. "Now... Chitose..."

Richard then heard that Erika's treatment was done, as Richard followed the medical staff to her ward, as he took a seat, and waited for Erika to wake up.

As soon as the ill girl woke up, blinking her eyes, she turned to Richard.

"Richard... Where's my brother?" Erika asked with a worried expression on her face. "Don't tell me..."

"Your idiot of a brother wouldn't listen... I can bet that he's going to Under Zero as we speak right now..." Richard growled in anger.

"Then please... go after him." Erika asked, as she clasped Richard's hand, as she looked at him with desperate eyes. "Get Ryuji and Chitose to put their differences aside. Under Zero is in the deepest part of the Valhalla server. Go there and stop my brother... Please."

"...I promise I will do it for your sake." Richard said, as he clasped Erika's small hand between his own, with a smile. "After all, I always get the job done, like Keisuke, right? You don't have to worry. Ryuji's going to drop out when I bring out Kuro, the big guns. Surely he'll peacefully surrender his suicidal plan when he faces someone who could crush him in a instant."

"Thank you... A lot has happened ever since Jude broke up..." Erika stated. "Mom and Dad died, then I got sick... Ryuji nearly worked himself to death everyday trying to look after me... He had to give up on everything that was important to him... So I begged Chitose to form a team, so that there is a place for Ryuji to be like his old self, to have someone left who was close to him."

Erika then looked away, as fresh tears ran down her eyes. "So please, Hudie has to survive. For me, please don't let it die..." She sobbed gently.

Richard looked at her, as he was motivated further by Erika's promise, as he nodded. "It will be done, I promise on the honour of Hudie, for your sake, Erika." Richard stated in a bold tone.

"...Thank you... Richard." Erika smiled at him with gratitude.

Richard then left the room, as he walked all the way back to Hudie, as he was met by the rest of his teammates, as Keisuke was about to enter EDEN.

"Oh. We were just about to enter EDEN." Keisuke said. "I heard everything from Gus and Antonio. So... we're really going to have to stop Ryuji, right?"

"...I promised to her, Keisuke. I can't break it by failing." Richard answered back, as he slipped his EDEN visor on, while logging into the Hudie website. "She told me the true purpose behind Hudie... And I will uphold that purpose until I breathe my last."

He then entered EDEN, as Keisuke followed after him, with his friends.

* * *

 _In the Valhalla server..._

Richard made his first steps onto the old server, as it was a server filled with dark space, neon cyan platforms, and digital lightning bolts around the edge of the area, as Keisuke and the others came soon after.

"So this is the Valhalla server... It's a fitting name for the place, from the look of where we are..." Richard said, as he pulled out his Digivice. "Digimon roam here as well, so summon your partners. They're not pushovers here."

He then summoned Kuro, as Gus and Antonio summoned their partners, which were recently Digivolved again.

Sun was now a EmperorGreymon, which was a humanoid dragon Digimon, clad in shining red samurai armour with yellow edging between the plates, as his arm gauntlets had draconian heads where they end at his ends, and dinosaur heads with horns on his shoulders, as his head was clad in a horned helmet, as he wielded a mighty and large sword with a blue crossguard, a golden halo-like arc latched the the bottom of the blade from both sides, and a blue pearl on the centre of the front side of the hilt.

Bolt was now a MagnaGarurumon, as he was a android wolf Digimon, as his entire body was a robotic suit of dark blue and light blue, with a large sharp chest-armour piece on his chest, with long jet wings on his shoulders, and two long golden ribbons hanging down his sides. His weapons were a large rectangular cannon on his right arm, and a large grenade launcher on his left, as well as weapons hidden under his chest armour piece as well.

Reimu and Sanae summoned Ran and Aya respecitvely, as the group slowly advanced through the server, fighting off Champion and Ultimate Level Digimon.

They eventually continued down the server, until they found Chitose and Nokia together, as Wargreymon and MetalGarurumon were with them.

"You all!? What are you doing here!? Are you not worried about what might happen here!?" Chitose asked the group, shocked by their appearance.

"Erika asked us to come over here, to stop her brother, Ryuji. Since you two are here, we should work together to push our way to Under Zero." Richard responded back.

"But..." Chitose was about to say, before he then smiled, surprising the group. "Well, if you're going to be a gentleman, then I shouldn't stop you. Whathever the reason, if you made a promise with her, you are most welcome to come with us, and we are thankful for your assistance."

"Oh look! It's Richard and Keisuke!" Nokia said. "Do you want to join us? There are a lot of traps ahead and we could sure use the help! I'm feeling super-super-super-good! We can be the first ones to Under Zero! This'll be perfect training for the Rebels! And I get to show what I can do, so that I can be recognised as a true leader!"

"Well, you're already one." Gus complimented Nokia. "You did manage to get through here without much help, right?"

"Of course! Nothing can stop me and my partners from getting there! Now then, onwards!" Nokia cried. "We're gonna get to Under Zero first and plant the Rebel flag right in the cyber soil! Look what we have here! Yuugo and Fei! And on top of that, it's crazy-boy himself, Arata! Let's go!"

Nokia then ran towards the next area of the server, without stopping for a single moment.

"Hey, don't leave us behind! Akkino!" Some of her hacker underlings cried, as they rushed after her in a hurry.

"Well, there's no time to be wasting! After her! She might take us across to the place where we're going!" Richard exclaimed.

The entire group followed after Nokia, as they fought off the Digimon in their way, until they found Nokia being stuck in front of a teleportation pad to the next area, as she seems to be unable to move, as Richard noticed that, with Nokia, was half of the people that were with David before, as they were headed by two people, one of them a a boy with brown hair that has blue streaks inside of it, and the other a boy with sky blue hair, a blue long-sleeved shirt and black Leather Pants, and a sword strapped to his back, with black fingerless Gloves on his hands, and a red diamond-shaped gemstone necklace on his neck.

"This isn't good..." The brown-haired boy sighed. "We won't be able to catch up to David like this... Something's blocking our way into the portal."

' _Oh, just fucking great... David must have split some of his friends to go with Nokia... Fuck... I'm going to have to pull an in-between._ ' Richard thought with some irritation, before he then noticed that Nokia was trying to get into the portal.

"But we won't be able to get to Under Zero!" Nokia cried. "Whoever you are, let us past! You coward!"

A ZAXON hacker then teleported from the other side of the obstacle, as he approached the group with a prideful smirk.

"Who are you calling a coward?" The hacker asked back. "You must be the group of Amateurs, the 'Rebels', that Yuugo mentioned! I can't let you go farther."

"No way! We're ready to face whatever comes our way!" Nokia retorted back, as the group behind her agreed. "We'll be the first to take Under Zero, and make all the hackers understand that Digimon aren't just tools!"

"That's right! Why don't you shove off, you spineless cronie!?" Flamberge, which seemed to be one of the Jambastion mages from before, in a more humanoid form that she was seen as before.

"I warned you, Yuugo ordered me to show no mercy to anyone who tries to stop us." The hacker laughed. "You should know, we've blocked the path ahead, so even if you beat us in a ordinary Digimon battle, the network won't be restored. If you're a real hacker, try hacking to gain control!"

"Hacking it!? What do you mean!?" Nokia cried.

"Damn... Hacking isn't exactly our strong suit here. Is there another way around this?" The sky-haired boy, leading one of the groups said with a sigh.

"Richard... I don't think that either of them will get through without their help..." Keisuke said. "We have to help Nokia, and the others."

"I know, Keisuke." Richard stated, as he was trying to hold down his rage at the obstacle before him, stalling him at the most critical of times.

' _Oh fuck no. Trying to pull a Domination Battle!? I've got no time to deal with your shit! Ryuji's not getting to the core, no matter what!_ ' Richard thought with rage, as he immediately stomped towards where the argument was at.

He then walked past the group, before he then pushed the brown-haired boy aside with some force, that he stumbled to the side, as everyone on the group glared at the entire group with him.

"Hey, what's the big deal-" The brown-haired boy cried, before he saw Richard and Keisuke. "It's... you!? Richard Lin!?"

"Move aside. This is between actual hackers with firepower, not some people who haven't even dabbled into hacking." Richard vehemently hissed. "You heard the prick, you're not getting through."

"HEY! Who do you think you are, getting in our matters! Why I oughta...!" Flamberge fumed, as she stomped towards Richard.

"Flamberge! Calm down! I don't think this is the time to be beating down the person who is going to helping us right now." The brown-haired boy warned his team member. "As much as I hate to say it in front of him, we need him."

"But... He...!" Flamberge growled, before she then scowled deeply. "Oooohhh..."

Richard merely let out a loud scoff at the team leader's words, before he then turned to the hacker, as he threw his jacket off.

"Give us access now. We are after Ryuji, as team members of Hudie." Richard stated. "You should be smart enough to at least let us through."

"Hah! Like I believe your bullshit!" The hacker barked at Richard. "I'm not letting a single one of you through! Now, get lost!"

"One way or the other, I'm coming through. Make it easy on yourself, and give up trying to bar MY path. I am a person on a trail of vengeance, and anyone who gets in my way will be buried at least three feet into the ground, or in terms that your simple and slow mind will understand, half. Dead." Richard growled back. "Now let us through, or else. I have no intentions of messing with Under Zero. If you want it so badly, then hand over Ryuji Mishima. He will stand trial for his sins."

"You don't scare me! You can't do shit while I'm behind this wall." The hacker taunted with a middle-finger salute to Richard, which made Richard flinch a little in bristling rage. "I can do everything and anything to you right here, with just a few mere keystrokes! I'll tear you apart for trying to look all flashy and heroic in front of us!"

"...Hmhmhm... I have ways around that." Richard chuckled darkly, before he then pushed against the wall, pressing his face to it, to stare directly at the hacker with eyes filled with cold hate. "Last chance. Drop the barrier, and let us through, or I'll drop YOU."

"You ain't going to do anything! Try and stop me! This wall's impenetrable! Not even an Ultra Digimon can break this firewall I made myself!" The hacker mocked Richard further, as Richard merely stepped back a few times, as he sighed deeply.

"And here I thought, I could be nice and let you leave with only your pride as your hacker broken." Richard stated calmly.

"...What?" The hacker asked, as he was confused by Richard's sudden change of personality.

Suddenly, in a single motion, Richard summoned a sukima under his feet, as he fell through it, and another appeared behind the hacker. From it, Richard teleported out with a cruel smirk, as the hacker barely managed to turn around to acknowledge Richard with a expression filled with fear.

"Now... let me reward you as a dickhead like you deserves." Richard stated in a thinly-veiled threatening tone.

He then arched back his leg, and kicked the hacker right between the legs, onto the weak-point of every being, their groin. The hacker, feeling excruciating pain at Richard's well-aimed kick immediately fell to his knees, clutching his wound, as he let out a high-pitched scream, before he then fell backwards on the ground and fainted.

"Feh." Richard stated, before he then opened us his own user interface. "Now then, about that barrier..."

Everyone except Richard's own group were shocked at what they have seen, as they looked at the downed hacker, who was foaming in the mouth from the sheer pain and humiliation he felt, as tears leaked from his eye from the same things.

"There. Done." Richard stated, as the barrier flickered a little into visibility, before fading into nothing. He then noticed the reactions that were directed at his victim and him. "What? You were expecting me to care for that little piece of shit who barred my way?"

"You... You kicked him... right in the nuts!" The sky-blue haired boy trembled at Richard's display of cruel vengeance. "How could you do that! That guy didn't deserve that!"

"Please, you know jack about picking the wrong fights." Richard spat back. "It was his own fault that he was in my way in the most critical of times. I warned him so nicely. I used the ally excuse to get through, I told him that things wouldn't be pretty if he kept on insisting blocking my way, and I gave him a final warning that should have gotten through his thick head, with the way I said it. And you know what he did? He kept on insulting me and baiting me to try and test his little defence out. How could I not? Of course, the consequences of this disappointment are severe, as you have seen. I've turned my cheek for quite a while, especially when dealing with a stubborn ass like him. Biting the hand that tries to pet you only gets you unpunished for so long."

He then flicked his hand.

"Now that we've got what we wanted. Join back up with your little friends." Richard stated with crossed arms. "David's waiting for you, is he not? You better be there, if you want to deal with ZAXON. Either way, I've got matters to deal with. You go first. We need to find some people. I promise that I have no interest in interfering with your matters."

"...Thanks..." The brown-haired boy thanked Richard with a awkward tone, before they immediately entered the portal, with Nokia and the rest of their groups.

Richard then walked to his group, as Reimu shook her head.

"What's that really necessary?" Reimu asked in a unimpressed tone. "You could have just knocked him out with a chop to the neck."

"Yes, I could have. But since he's gotten me so hot and angry, I decided to vent it in a single boot to the balls." Richard answered back with a smirk. "Come on, Keisuke, Chitose. We have to hurry, if we're going to find Ryuji."

"...Man, you're acting all scary again. And now I see what you are capable of. But how did you manage to pull the trick you did before?" Chitose asked back with cold sweat down his head from the fear he felt from the previous display. "I haven't seen anyone who could do that."

"Mmm, it's something I managed to master with some tampering of position coding." Richard lied with a grimace. "Surprisingly, it works so long as I keep the variables stable and constant. But why do you care? Isn't stopping Ryuji more important in this case? We have to stop him before he turns everything to shit in a single flick of the switch!"

"Yeah... You're right." Chitose stated back.

They soon entered the portal, as they found Ryuji who was almost on his way to the portal that would take him to Under Zero, as he was surprised by Richard's appearance, as Richard and Chitose rushed at him, as Chitose blocked his path in front of him, while Richard stood close on the opposite side.

"Richard, what are you doing here!? Aren't you supposed to caring for Erika!?" Ryuji shouted.

"Ironic thing for you to say, asshole, you abandoned your damn sister for this!" Richard cried back in anger. "She wants you to stop this shit! And I will do it, even if I have to smash your avatar into pieces to stop you from getting there!"

"We came here to stop us, Ryuji... Because all of this doesn't seem right." Chitose added. "Didn't you notice yet, Ryuji!? The traps here are way too easy. Back in the old days, when we used to do this for Jude, it took a lot of time, right? Something feels fishy. I think we better-"

"I'm not listening to either of you, you from another team..." Ryuji growled back, as he turned to Richard. "And neither you, who is jeopardising Erika's life!"

"Like you're doing any better!" Richard cried. "Chitose went to Under Zero as a Rebel, in order to get you and persuade you to get out! And you know what!? I think I know why you're been so distant to Arata Sanada, Ryuji! You're the same as him, even if you don't want to fucking admit that fact! No wonder you broke up, because all these years, and you still act like a spoiled brat unfitting of your experience and age! I refuse to listen to you, unless you prove that you aren't acting on this just because your emotions got the better of you! Think the shit through, Ryuji!"

"Shut up! This has nothing to do with Sanada!" Ryuji shouted in anger. "I'm not cutting ties with Kishibe! She ordered me to watch Under Zero. Erika's life is riding upon it! If you really mean to stop me, then get ready to fight...!"

Ryuji then summoned Coredramon to his side, as Chitose grimaced a little at Ryuji's action.

"Oh yeah? I knew you were acting weird, but I never thought you'd pull that!" Chitose stated, as he summoned his partner, Ankylomon to his side. "Calm the hell down, you dope!"

Richard then summons Kuro, as he points at Ryuji.

"You can't fight past both of us, Ryuji." Richard stated. "Kuro is a Mega, while your Coredramon is a low-level Mega in terms of strength at best, being an Ultimate. I will have Kuro crush both you and Coredramon into the ground, if it'll stop you from going!"

Ryuji merely gritted his teeth, before his Digivice rang, as well as Richard's, Keisuke's, and Chitose's, as all of them received a call from Erika.

"Ryuji! All of you!" Erika cried.

"Erika!?" Ryuji cried, as he listened closely.

"Please... Listen to this!" Erika begged.

Soon, there was the sound of a recording starting to playback.

"Oh my... Things are coming along nicely!" Kishibe's cackles were heard from it.

"You've pushed them all to the edge very well. Now it's down to her to do her part." A very familiar male voice was heard. "I'll drop the security level a little to increase their sense of accomplishment. They should easily reach their goal now."

The voice causes Keisuke to be shocked, as Richard's expression twisted into one of pure rage.

"Akemi... Suedou..." Richard hissed through gritted teeth.

"Kishibe!?" Ryuji exclaimed hearing Kishibe's plans.

"Hey, could that mean... Under Zero!?" Chitose said, realising what the plan between Suedou and Kishibe was targeting.

"I think so. I used the malware I snuck into the Kamishiro server to hack into Kishibe's terminal." Erika answered back. "There are traces of some kind of huge amount of data in Under Zero, and Kishibe's fingerprints are all over the Valhalla Server. That can only mean one thing: Stay away from the core! It's booby-trapped!"

Everyone was surprised, as Richard and Keisuke paled.

"Then... Nokia... and the others, they're ahead of us... So..." Gus said with dread in his voice.

"They will get there first! They'll be hit by the trap!" Chitose shouted in desperation, before he activated his Digivice, as he tried to contact Nokia, before he saw that there was no response. "Hey, I can't reach them...!"

"The Digital Wave surr... the mainframe... increasing!" Erika's voice was beginning to be garbled by static from some sort of interference. "Comm... cutting out!"

"Digital Waves...That can only mean... FUCK!" Richard cried, as he immediately made for a mad sprint.

Keisuke immediately followed after him, as Reimu, Gus, Antonio and Sanae did the same.

"You guys, wait!" Ryuji tried to call them back, as he and Chitose went after them.

Richard and Keisuke were first to arrive at Under Zero, as they saw that the various hacker teams are fighting each other, as Digimon partners littered the field, both standing and defeated ones.

"Where the hell is Nokia... Where is she!?" Richard frantically cried, as he looked around. "She should have Omnimon formed right now... I should be able to see them..."

Richard then found that there was a glowing light near him, as Richard then turned to it, as he saw that Nokia was commanding WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon to form Omnimon before them, as the fusion process caused a great gust of wind to erupt, as Richard was forced to cover himself against it.

"...She really did it..." Richard stated with awe, before he then shook his head frantically. "No, what the hell am I thinking!? Now's not the time to be surprised about Nokia's success! Everyone's in danger!"

"Omnimon, Transcendent Sword!" Nokia ordered her Digimon, as the knightly Digimon immediately showed his massive arm-mounted blade from his draconian hand, as he slashed across the field with mighty force, defeating the last of Fei's Digimon, her TigerVespamon. The female ZAXON hacker fell to her knees in defeat.

"H-How... I lost... to her?" Fei asked in a shaky voice.

Yuugo was being defeated by Sachiko's very own Digimon, as he was very unhappy about his defeat, as he noticed Omnimon. "Fei!? What the hell is that Digimon!?"

Richard then dashed in between the groups, as he had his arms out.

"Nokia! Thank god! I arrived in time for you all!" Richard cried with a relieved expression, before he turned to Fei and Yuugo. "And you too, Fei... Yuugo!"

"Richard!? Why are you standing in between us!?" Nokia cried.

"You!? Where's your leader, Ryuji!?" Fei asked. "And where is that traitor Chitose?"

"Richard... You didn't come here, just to merely help ZAXON, right?" Yuugo asked slowly.

"Yuugo, Fei, Nokia, everyone please... You have to listen to me...! I swear that everything I'm going to say is true!" Richard said frantically. "There's no time... Get everyone out of Under Zero, now!"

"Richard!? What do you think you're saying all the sudden!?" Yuugo asked back, infuriated by Richard's words. "We aren't giving up on our dream of freeing Under Zero from the clutches of Kamishiro!"

"And there's no way I'm going to let you do that! We won't let you open Under Zero!" David cried.

"Both of you, SHUT THE HELL UP! Yuugo, we managed to find the truth about all of this! Please, let us speak. And you..." Richard shouted, as he turned to David. "I don't know what the hell you're trying to accomplish here, but you made a big mistake coming here!"

"What do you mean, the truth?" Fei asked, curious about what Richard was warning them about.

Chitose, Ryuji and the others appeared shortly after, as Chitose was surprised by the sight of Omnimon. "That... That's Nokia's Digimon there!?" Chitose asked in shock.

"Richard, we have to warn everybody!" Gus cried. "Under Zero... It's a trap!"

"A trap!?" Nokia screeched, as her expression paled.

"Yes! It was all a ruse set up by Rie Kishibe and Akemi Suedou!" Richard yelled. "They've booby-trapped Under Zero themselves, and loosened the security so that their trap could be sprung! They plan to release a tremendous amount of Digital Waves when the core opens, and that means-!"

Suddenly, the octehedronal core of Under Zero suddenly began to move, as it twisted itself open., revealing a sickly purple data inside of it, as Richard turned to it and his face went deathly pale. "No...! It's already happening!" He shouted.

"Wonderful! Good Work!" Kishibe's cheery voice rang through Under Zero, catching the attention of everyone in the vicinity.

"Kishibe!?" Ryuji growled.

"Great job! I'm really impressed!" Kishibe cheerfully stated.

"Rie...!? Then what Richard said..." Yuugo spoke, as he had cold sweat on his face from the feeling of terror and dread inside of him.

"You can rest now. Your part in this is over, my dear!" Kishibe addressed Yuugo. "Your job, Yuugo, was just to lead everyone here! After all, everyone adores the legendary hacker Yuugo! And according to our scenario, once everyone is here, what comes next?"

"Kishibe... KISHIBE!" Richard roared with rage.

"Oh? There's someone else here! Don't worry, you won't be existing much longer!" Kishibe mocked Richard.

Suddenly Eaters began to appear in the entire area, as David's and Sachiko's groups were taken off guard, along with everyone in the Hudie team, as Richard bit his tongue in surprise.

"E-E-EATERS!" A hacker cried, before one of the Eaters immediately plunged its tentacle into his avatar, as he fell to his knees. "GGGYYYYAAAAA!"

The Eaters then ran rampant around the area, as they consumed and sucked avatars dry in front of everyone, as some of them were in a humanoid form made of data ribbons.

"No... How could I let something like this happen...?" David said in sorrow, as he watched the hackers be torn apart by the Eaters.

"What... This is..." Antonio stated in fear of what he was seeing. "This is... what a Eater swarm looks like up close?"

"Wa ha ha ha! Oh, you hackers are such gullible fools!" Kishibe laughed cruelly. "You just blithely came along for the ride! No idea you were being played this whole time! I'm going to take your unripe mental energy, and squeeze and squeeze every last drop, ALL. FOR. ME!"

"These are... the monsters from Kowloon...!" Ryuji stated.

"Hey hey, This is bad! What do we do!?" Chitose asked in worry.

Ryuji was frozen on the spot, as Keisuke and Chitose noticed the shocked expression on his face. "What... What is this?" He asked himself. "Did that woman do this? I was set up then!? And Richard was right all along!? So then... Erika... She...!"

Richard then noticed that there was a Eater coming behind Ryuji, as he immediately gasped, while David and the others were fighting off the Eaters with Arata and Nokia.

"NO!" Richard yelled, as he immediately sprinted towards Ryuji, as he dodged the various Eaters around him, before one of them got in his way, as its tentacle was reached out to try and grapple Richard.

'Yoooouuuuu! GET! OUT! OF! MY! WAYYYY!" Richard roared, as he immediately cocked back a fist, as it charged with a light blue flickering energy, as he slammed it right into the eye of the Eater, as it was blown into data by the powerful blow.

Keisuke saw Richard's feat of destroying an Eater with his bare hands.

"What the... Did he just... destroy a Eater without his Digimon!?" Keisuke gasped in shock.

Richard was about to reach Ryuji, before the Eater leapt into the air, aiming for Ryuji.

"Ryuji!" Chitose cried, as he rushed at Ryuji as well.

Ryuji snapped out of his trance, as he noticed the Eater above him, as Richard paled.

"Chitose, don't you fucking dare-" Richard cried, as he sped up to try and stop Chitose.

Chitose got to Ryuji first, pushing him aside, as Ryuji fell to the ground, as the Eater gripped Chitose, as it coiled over Chitose, absorbing his avatar, as his hand was outside of it, before a tentacle dragged it in, as squelching and crunching sounds were heard.

"...Ah..." Richard mouthed, as he slowed down, realising he was too late, before he then fell down to his knees, watching Chitose's avatar be consumed.

"CHITOSE!" David cried loudly, as he froze and broke down one of the Eaters near him. "NO!"

Keisuke could only avert his eyes, as his face was a grimace at the gruesome scene, as Antonio gritted his teeth in sorrow and frustration, while Reimu only bowed her head in regret for being unable to save Chitose, while Sanae covered her eyes, as her mouth was twisted into a sob.

Ryuji was completely catatonic, as he looked down at the ground.

"...They're gone..." Ryuji whispered in a completely hopeless tone. "Chitose, Jude, all my friends... They're all gone... My parents are gone, and soon Erika will be gone, too.

Ryuji then smiled in a twisted way filled with despair. "Everyone disappears... Poof... goodbye... forever..." Ryuji chuckled dryly.

Richard then noticed that a group of Eaters were coming for Ryuji, as he walked towards him, and slapped Ryuji in the cheek hard enough to give him pain to wake him up from his delirious hallucination.

"Nngh! Richard!?" Ryuji said, as he looked at the furious boy.

"Ryuji... Whatever funk you are in now, now's not the TIME TO BE IN IT!" Richard cried, as he grabbed Ryuji by the shoulders, and shook his vigorously. "WAKE THE FUCK UP! STOP RUNNING AWAY FROM REALITY YOU GODDAMN ASSHOLE! CHITOSE'S GONE! HE'S FUCKING GONE! BECAUSE OF YOU!"

Gus and Antonio immediately came beside Richard, as they summoned Sun and Bolt to fight the Eater group.

"I..." Ryuji said.

"Save it, you're not my leader anymore, not after what you have caused. You are leaving this place with me. I could have saved your damn sister without risking Chitose, and you just had to refuse!" Richard growled. "You're not dying here. You're going to live, and regret what you have done. And you are going to do everything in your power to atone for all of this!"

Ryuji remained silent, as Richard looked at the group of Eaters.

"You won't be taking any more of us!" Richard declared. "If you want something to eat, here's a spicy meal for you greedy gobblers! Kuro, Dark Terra Force!"

"You don't have to say that twice!" Kuro shouted back in agreement, as he threw his orb of destruction at the Eaters, as it destroyed most of the regular Eaters, although some of the humanoid Eaters remained standing, although they were still severely damaged by the attack. "Bolt! Sun! Follow up with your attacks!"

"Bolt! Use Magna Missiles!/Sun! Use Pyro Dragons!" Antonio and Gus respectively commanded their Digimon partners.

"Alright!/Got it!" Sun and Bolt replied back, as Bolt lifted both of his arm-mounted weapons, as his rifle arm fired off a stream of small thin missiles, while his other grenade launcher arm fired off a rapid spread of mini war-heads with black tips, as they exploded into a sea of fiery explosions, before Sun stuck his blade down, as fissures of fire spread into the eight cardinal directions around him, as fire dragons sprouted out of them, as they tore through the Eaters, before he then jumped up, as a much larger flame dragon enveloped around him, as he crashed through the remaining Eaters, destroying them in the dual attack.

While the others were fighting, Keisuke, Reimu and Sanae was defending Ryuji from another side, as Ran was using Tailsman of Light to fend off the enemies, and Aya was using Shadow Wing repeatedly to finish off any weakened Eaters in one strike, as HerculeKabuterimon was up and close with them, as he thrusted at them with his horn, and using Giga Blaster point-blank to destroy any Eaters in front of him in one blow.

"Too many goddamn Eaters... Of all the places..." Richard clicked his tongue, as he turned to David. "Oi, YOU! Yes, you, David!"

"What do you want? If you're here to rub my failure in my face, then go ahead. I deserve it." David spoke back in a resentful tone.

"Fuck that! Like I have the time and energy to do this shit!" Richard shouted back. "I'm going to say that we have a same goal as of now: Clearing the entire Eater swarm right here, or at least surviving long enough to carve a path out of here!"

"What, no rant this time?" Zelos asked with a 'hmph.'

"Bite me, Mr Zelos the long-haired!" Richard retorted back with a growl.""Look, I may have been a ass, and I am not going to be your friend just like that, but now's not the time to be squablling amongst each other! Either we work together, or we get consumed by the Eaters! Make the right choice, hero!"

David grimaced slightly, as Zelos flinched a little at the rebounding insult, as Himeno walked up to David.

"He's right, Zelos. David, we don't have time to argue about this. Let's do it." Himeno told both of them.

"Alright. I accept." David nodded to Richard. "You make a fair point, even though I hate to admit it.

"See? This is how we should be acting! Thank YOU, Himeno Akatsuki!" Richard cried, before he shook his head. "I'm not one to judge your life by the book, but I say that you deserve to survive as you did. Because you deserve that future for all you did. Perhaps... just maybe, I'll get used to this reality after all."

Richard then looked around, as he noticed that there were still a lot of Eaters, although they were being pushed back by the better hackers who are capable of fighting back against them, as he calmed his voice a little.

"Good, take one side. I'll deal with the other. After this, we are going back on our separate ways, just as we like it." Richard stated. "And before you ask, Rie Kishibe is going to pay for this. Chitose was not just merely a member, but a pal who tried to help everyone on the team. Even though he didn't help us much, he did manage to help Keisuke find justice. And for that, I'm indebted to him, especially when he tried to make us smile in dire times like this. So I refuse to let Chitose's sacrifice be for nothing! Once I get out, if it is possible, no matter the chances, I am going save him myself, because I still haven't finished paying back his kindness to us! And don't think about trying to get in my way!"

David was surprised by how Richard talked about Chitose, before he then smiled.

"I just want to give an order to your group. No matter what happens...don't any of you die!" David told Richard and the others.

Richard laughed a little. "Same goes to you, David. Don't end up getting yourself erased doing overly heroic shenanigans. You won't do your friends a favour by getting yourself deleted and in suffering." Richard smirked, before he then sighed. "You know I'm actually getting used to you already. Perhaps I won't have to distance myself much from you guys. But that still doesn't mean that I'm going to joining your little alliance. I still have matters to deal with in this world."

Richard then snapped his fingers, as sukimas appeared, as the team's weapons appeared, as they equipped themselves with their weapons.

"Just this once... I'll make an exception on trying to let my Digimon take the work. Our lives are at risk here, and many more are in the same dire straits." Richard said. "Look closely, our Digimon partners, witness the power of your tamers in a true display of might!"

Richard then grasped his twin blades, as Gus swung the great-sword onto his back, while Antonio equipped a replica of Caliburn from the Sonic Universe into his hands, and Reimu and Sanae equipped their own shrine-brand gohei, as the Digimon were left surprised that their owners weren't defenceless without them.

"Woah... So all that power... You aren't a normal person?" Kuro asked back, before he chuckled. "I guess I picked the right guy to follow."

"Unmei Force! We march for victory!" Richard cried, before he turned to Keisuke. "Keisuke, do me a favour, and please escort Ryuji out. We'll make sure that none of the Eaters here leave Under Zero alive. Sorry for hiding what we were for so long, but I doubt Ryuji would remember all of this, with that funk of his. Go, you'll be safe once you leave."

"Richard..." Keisuke said, before he withdrew HerculesKabuterimon, as he slung a arm over Ryuji, helping him up. "I trust you, Richard. Just please, come back alive, please..."

"I will. I promised Erika that, and I will do the same." Richard assured his companion.

Keisuke nodded, as he left Under Zero with Ryuji on tow.

"Alright, all of you, ready to rock this joint!?" Richard shouted to his team, as they roared back their approval in a shout. "Good! Let's go wild!"

Richard soon dashed forward, as David's group took their side, as they pushed towards one of the Digital Waves sources, while Richard slashed down any Eaters in his path with precise and quick slashes with his elemental-infused blades, swapping between the elements of fire, ice, wind, earth, light, and darkness with each series of strikes on his blade.

Gus noticed that there were a few hackers under threat by nearby Eaters, as he stomped the ground, creating a fissure, as a stream of magma spewed out, as he swung his blade through it, as it launched magma crescent projectiles to the Eaters, as they were melted severely by the heat into a wax-like substance, as the hackers immediately thanked their saviour, and escaped Under Zero.

Antonio was using his own natural speed to its fullest potential, as he dashed around cutting through every single Eater through his path with a cross-slash of his large sword, as he used several Homing Attacks to hone on nearby Eaters and attack them nearly in a instant of each other.

Reimu and Sanae took a more supportive role, as they formed magic barriers to protect any of the defenceless hackers and avatars in the place, while dealing with the Eaters with their own divine magic, as they fired off salvos of magical projectiles that pile onto the Eaters and melt them down to nothing from the sheer burn of the energy behind the projectiles.

The Digimon partners, who were without their orders from their busy partners, fought alongside their respective partners, using every single skill and attack within their knowledge and arsenal, as explosions and burn marks reigned the field from the strongest trio's attacks, and Ran and Aya managed to contribute to the battle.

When the Eater swarm was diminishing, Richard managed to reach up to where the Digital Wave source on his side was, as Richard noticed the gaping opening that the Digital Waves were flowing from.

"So this is where the problem lies. I better deal with this fast..." Richard said, as he reached a hand out, as it glowed with light blue energy. "I'll take a page out of my most cherished disciple and solve it her way: With a lot of deep-frozen ice!"

Richard then conjured up a dark-blue ice floe that seemed to feel much colder and stronger than normal ice, as it was the right size to plug up the digital hole, as Digital Waves ceased to leak from it.

"Phew... Thank god it worked." Richard sighed, wiping the sweat of his brow, before he looked around, as David was just about done dealing with the Eaters on his side, as it left the area clear of the Eaters.

However, both leaders observed the carnage that the Eaters wrought, as more than half of the initial hackers were consumed by the Eaters, while some were outright unconscious, their condition unknown, some still barely conscious, as they were injured by the Eater attack, and even fewer who were fully standing and unharmed, although they were frightened and demoralised by the attack.

"What... What the hell was those things!?" A hacker cried.

"Anyone... Where are my friends? They suddenly disappeared." Another worried hacker added, as he looked around with a matching expression.

Richard bowed his head down in silence, as he let the brutal causalities of the battle sink into his mind silently, as he closed his eyes.

' _I should have acted faster... If I did... Even more people would be saved from EDEN Syndrome..._ ' Richard thought to himself with regret. ' _And Chitose... Damn it... even with all this precognition of the future I revised... I still... was too late to save him... Just like... back then... when I laid on the sea of blood I created..._ '

He then looked around, as he noticed that there were a few hackers waking up, as they seemed to be spared the fate of being the Eater causalities, as Richard shook his head.

' _No... I've done more than enough. Even though I didn't save everyone, because I was too scared of exposing my true self to them... I saved more than what Keisuke alone would have done. A single live is a hope for me to continue my fight, to allow everyone to be given a life of freedom and choice, and a world where they are free to pursue their dreams and live their lives to their fullest..._ ' Richard thought with some hope in his heart.

David, however, was doing much worse, as he was hurt by the causalities he saw, as he fought back the urge to weep at the losses.

"Chitose... Ryuji... I'm sorry..." David spoke in a cracked tone.

Richard looked at David for a moment, before he then turned away to leave, as Gus moved to stop him.

"Richard... Aren't you... Aren't you going to persuade David not to lose hope?" Gus asked.

"No... He'll be able to endure this. Let this be a lesson from cruel reality that he must learn." Richard stated. "And EDEN syndrome is curable, while true death is not. We've done our work here, Gus. We shall now return to our individual paths, as we has agreed upon."

Behind the Unmei Force members, David and the others left Under Zero, as they were headed for their next objective, while Richard planned to head back to the real world, where he can meet up with Erika.

* * *

 _In the real world, the internet cafe Hudie..._

Richard logged out of EDEN, as he noticed that Keisuke was not in the booth where he logged in, as Richard knew that Keisuke must have went to see Erika, and the recently hospitalised Chitose.

As he went down the stairs, he bumped into Keisuke and Erika, who was dressed back in her usual Hudie attire.

"Erika? Did... Did you manage to trick the hospital in letting you go?" Richard asked, as he stepped back a little, to allow Erika to head into the cafe. "I'm happy that you've left, but... will you be fine? The next attack you have will be unable to be treated, since we know Kishibe has backstabbed Ryuji."

"...So you understand." Erika said. "Chitose has been hospitalised in Central Hospital, and he was placed in the same ward as I did. Ryuji was in tears after what had happened to him, and he's lost the will to act as the Hudie leader. So I agreed with Keisuke that he will act as the temporary leader, until we can solve this dilemma. I want you and him to do one thing only. I want revenge for Chitose and Ryuji... And I need your help. I will take down Rie Kishibe personally. She was responsible for exploiting my condition to force my brother to do and cause all of this, so I won't forgive her at all."

"...I'll help." Richard said, as he clenched his fists. "You know that Chitose was a pal to me, even though we never worked much together even since then. I will make her pay direly for taking Chitose's health. Once she's gone, we'll find a way to reverse EDEN Syndrome, and we'll cure you and Chitose, so that everyone in Hudie will no longer have to be under the shadow of things."

"We'll fix everything." Antonio said. "Don't worry, that manipulative witch will get what she deserves, we promise!"

Erika smiled a little. "Thank you... All of you." Erika thanked them with strong gratitude in her voice. "I also heard about what happened in Under Zero... And all I wanted to say... you were all so cool."

The entire Unmei Force team were shocked by the compliment, as Richard was the most affected, as a little blush formed on his cheeks, as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well... I... I was just doing what was right in the situation. I just had to do all I can in this situation. We're Hudie, right? The butterfly that guides the hand of fate!" Richard stated with a shy tone. "I can't let our good rep go to nothing without helping the Under Zero situation ourselves."

They then entered Erika's room, as Erika booted her computer up, as Wormmon appeared on the desktop of one of the monitors.

"How are things going in EDEN?" Erika asked her Digimon.

"Recovering. After the big fight in Under Zero, they did some emergency maintenance." Wormmon reported what he found about the situation to the group. "They're still making adjustments in the background. Thanks to Chitose's malware, we've got quick access to info."

"Really? Then how will that help?" Keisuke asked back.

"The security on Avalon Server might be a bit slack while they're doing the recovery work." Erika continued the explanation. "Let's break in there quick. We will get more proof about Kishibe's connections with the Cyber Crimes Investigation Unit, and the rest of the police. But knowing Kishibe, and her love of blackmail, I'm sure she's got a copy of the data stashed somewhere. There's a top secret area inside the Avalon Server, that only the CEO can access, the 'Hidden Room'. If it's anywhere, the copy would be here. Even if we don't find the data we need, we can expose the network they use to launder data, and take down Kishibe with that. There's also plenty of other dirt on her in there. She's going to be providing herself the rope to hang herself. Hmhmhm..."

Erika chuckled sinisterly, as Wormmon cowered a little in fear of her.

"Yikes! Scary!" Wormmon squeaked out in a shrill voice. "I've never seen you this angry before..."

"Yes, and it's all because of her, Kishibe." Erika answered back, with some flaring anger in her voice. "Guess I'm weird, to only feel angry when this happens. So, can I count on you all? Oh, who am I kidding? Of course you are. You want this as much as I do."

Everyone nodded, as they were in agreement on punishing Kishibe for her crimes.

"Good, I guess Wormmon's been doing good lately." Erika stated. "I'm coming with you this time, to avoid any more mishaps with security restrictions. The malware still provides a back door into the server, so give it to Richard, and I'[ll meet you all there. Rie Kishibe... You'll pay for what you have done."

"Good old fashioned payback, eh Erika!?" Wormmon joked.

"Exactly. Get into your booths. We have a manipulator who ruined the lives of many, including Chitose and my brother Ryuji." Erika nodded.

Richard and Keisuke immediately left the room, as they sat themselves down in their seats in the booths, before they logged into EDEN together.

' _Kishibe... Just you wait... I'm going to mess you real good for this. You are going to feel the very same pain I inflicted onto that Dreamin' leader._ ' Richard darkly thought, as his mind transferred to EDEN with his friends.


	20. Chapter 19: Elma, Kishibe, Impmon

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 19: Elma, Kishibe, and Impmon

* * *

 _In the Avalon server..._

Richard and the other found themselves in the Kamishiro company's main server, as the entire area around them was vividly coloured with shades of blue, green and yellow mixing into each other, as the path before them was a slow and steady ascent to the top of the server, as Richard summoned Kuro by his side, while the others brought their Digimon partners out of their Digivices, as Erika was already there before them.

"Glad to see that you all are here." Erika said. "Once we make it where the Hidden Room should be, I'll be able to access it without much difficulty."

"So we're escorting you again, Erika?" Richard asked, as he crossed his arms and hummed. "Brings me back to the first time Keisuke and I did that for you."

"Feeling nostalgic?" Erika questioned back with genuine interest. "Well, you did manage to help around a lot... And after what you have done for me back a few times ago... Saving my brother, being by my side when I fell ill for the first time in front of you..."

"It was merely what I would have done, Erika." Richard said, before he grunted. "But let's not waste more time with that. We'll find Kishibe, or her data, and either way, she's going to pay for all of this."

They soon continued through the server, as they passed through several areas that are filled with security Digimon, which the group easily defeated, with their experienced and overwhelming Digimon.

As they stumble into a round room, filled with small blue floating cubes that formed the wall, as some of them left their positions, floating around nothing, or lying on the ground, leaving some holes in the wall.

Erika summoned Wormmon, as the insect Digimon looked around a little

"The Avalon Server..." Wormmon said. "This is our second time hacking in..."

"The first time went fine, let's hope that the luck will hold for this time as well..." Keisuke spoke with some worry.

"Wormmon, go to Kishibe's office and steal the password from her terminal." Erika ordered Wormmon. "We need her password to get into the Hidden Room. The password is changed every day, so we have to hack directly into her terminal. You can do it, right Wormmon?"

"Leave it to me!" Wormmon cried back with a determined expression on his face, as he crawled towards the terminal in the centre of the room.

"He's gotten a lot more reliable, since we started sharing memory. I can hardly believe what a klutz he used to be..." Erika stated about Wormmon with a smile.

Suddenly, alarms rang in the room, as the terminal console turned a angry red, as Wormmon immediately skittered back to Erika with a frightened expression.

"Yikes! It's a trap!" Wormmon cried. "Help me! There's security Digimon heading this way!"

Erika could barely resist the urge to chuckle at the irony, as she covered her mouth with her hand to hide the smile on her face on the amusing situation.

"Well... I didn't think it was going to be easy." Erika sighed. "We'll need to raise our guard a little, since these alarms are definitely going to tighten security in the next few areas we go into."

She then picked up Wormmon, placing him on her back. "There, you'll be close enough to help me hack into any terminals we pass by." Erika stated. "Come on, we still have to continue on to find what we need."

Everyone nodded in agreement, as they took the transporter to the next area. Like Erika had predicted, the density of the security Digimon increased drastically from the alert, as the group were forced to fight more often, as the group had to rely on the use of SP Capsules and Sprays to make sure their special-moves can be used to clear the opposing crowds.

While they passed through various terminals, Erika allowed Wormmon to latch on each and every one of them, as he tapped into their inner data, before he hopped back onto Erika's back. Eventually, when they reached what looked like the end of the Avalon server, Wormmon's expression brightened, as he took the information inside one of the terminals.

"Miss Erika! I found the password!" Wormmon cried, as Richard walked up to him quickly.

"Really? What is it?" Richard asked. "I bet it's something very narcissistic, considering her snobby and selfish personality."

"...Okay, I sent to Keisuke, Miss Erika and you, Richard." Wormmon nodded, as they received a message from Wormmon, with the password, 'Rie*total_goddess'

Erika looked at the password with unamused eyes. "Huh...?" Erika asked with a growl.

"Did you get it? That's the password to the Hidden Room." Wormmon stated.

"This... This is it?" Erika asked back, as her eye was twitching at the pure irritation she felt knowing this password to be a self-righteous term.

"Yeah. Something wrong?" Wormmon asked, confused as to why Erika was irritated hearing the password.

"I think that my little prediction was spot-on. I really expected that she would be a little more normal with doing this." Richard stated, before he then shrugged. "Ah well, it's her shit, so I ain't going to care."

"...I think I hate her even more than before." Erika stated, as her eyes showed a cold fury inside of them.

"Want to know some of the other passwords? Yesterday, for example, was-" Wormmon was about to say, having not realised what caused her anger.

"Wormmon, just stop, please. I don't think she wants to know any more passwords." Antonio interrupted Wormmon. "Nobody wants to hear more of her 'passwords', I mean, they're more like self-proclaimed titles than actual passwords!"

"Whatever. I don't care. I'm going in first." Erika said, as she opened a user interface, as she inputted the password into the server. "Rie*total_goddess..."

As soon as she sent the completed password into the server, as a large digital door appeared in front of them.

"Okay, it's open. This is real now, so stay focused!" Erika warned everybody.

"Don't worry, everyone's ready for anything to come when we head inside. Nothing short of a apocalypse will make us falter!" Sanae assured Erika with a bold smile.

Erika merely nodded with a smile, as they all went through the digital door.

What they found inside, the Hidden Room, was a large space that was made to be like a bedroom for a resident, as most of the furniture, flooring and walls were pink, as there was a large couch with a tea-table opposite of it, a cabinet filled with beautiful pot-ware, a table below a dressing mirror, and a large closet. There were also flower pots filled with roses on pedestals and tables around the room, and lamps mounted on the walls, some on and some off, and there was a large pink canopy bed with white curtains. As if there was any doubt who the room was owned by, there were far too many portraits of Kishibe strewn around the room, with her sinister mug glaring from all directions.

"Ugh... This room. Just looking at it makes my head hurt." Erika groaned, as she clutched her head.

"Well, it does look a little luxurious." Keisuke commented. "But it's a little too over-the-top, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I have to agree, this is far too much pink and royal looks. Even Kaguya was modest enough to have her room just within the same tastes as the people around her place." Reimu agreed.

"I guess we have the same taste after all." Erika said, before she lowered Wormmon onto the ground. "Alright, you all, try and find that data. I'm going to search the entire room in case they are anything hidden from plain sight."

Everyone nodded, except for Richard, who was still, as he seemed to be having a concentrating expression on his face.

"Richard? You okay? Did... you remember something?' Gus asked.

"Gus... everyone... I... I feel something... I feel Elma's presence here. But's... it's very faint, which means...!" Richard exclaimed, before he suddenly realised something horrifying, before he then rushed towards the furniture, as he frantically searched every nook and cranny. "Oh god no, where are you, Elma? Where are you!?"

Gus and the other members of Richard's team caught onto what Richard was doing, as they helped his search for Elma, as Keisuke and Erika was left shocked by the sudden actions taken by their team members.

Richard then immediately made his way to the closet, as the feeling of Elma's lifeforce and magical signature only gotten stronger.

"Elma... Don't tell me... you're in here..." Richard muttered to himself with a tense tone, as he slowly opened the cupboard.

Inside, he found Elma completely unconscious, as her face was pale from a lack of care, as her fragile physique was tortured, and she was sitting down in the closet, with her back to the wall, as her head was drooped, making her look like a stowed doll. When Richard saw this, he immediately staggered back, as whimpers and cries poured from his mouth, as he shakily took a few steps back, as the other members turned to see what caused Richard such a fright, as they too were struck with shock from Elma's discovery.

"Elma... ELMA!" Richard cried, before he then rushed over to Elma, as he pulled her out of the closet, as he lied her down flat on the ground. "C'mon Elma... Wake up! It's your other Big Brother, Richard

Elma did not respond, as Richard was forced to check for Elma's condition, taking a look at her glazed eyes by opening them, laying his head down onto her chest to check for a heart-beat, only to hear one, except it is very laboured and slow, showing that she is in a severe state of physical strain on her entire body, inside and outside.

"Thank god... What did that whore Kishibe did to you...!?" Richard sighed, before he then growled, as he opened up her dress, as she lifted her inner clothing enough to check only her pale-skinned stomach, as he noticed that there were slash marks and bruises aplenty on that one part of her body, as he knew that there were much more elsewhere on the hidden parts of her body.

Richard was consumed by a great fury, as he grit his teeth so hard that they would break each other if he applied even a little more force, and he clenched his fists hard enough for his knuckles to turn white, as he was breathing heavily and roughly. Erika and Keisuke took the time to check for data, as they did not notice what Richard and the others were doing, as Reimu and Sanae came over, as they saw the damage on Erika's body.

"Oh gods..." Sanae cried in a appalled tone. "She's... She's been tortured for so long...!"

"Richard..." Reimu said in a comforting tone. "Calm down... You can't lose yourself to anger here and now... You'll hurt everyone here, even her if you let your temper run wild."

Richard listened to Reimu's words, as he immediately closed his eyes, as he focused on bottling his fiery rage down into his heart, as his expression turned less enraged, and the grips of his hand loosened slowly.

" I'm fine, Reimu... Thank you for those words. I almost really lost myself there." Richard calmly thanked his companion, before he then looked back at Elma's unconscious body, as he summoned a small sukima, after which a bottle of red solution dropped into his open hand, and he handed it to Reimu. "Make her drink this. She needs drastic healing, and the only thing that would do that regardless of the severity of wounds and the physique of the affected being is this. Make her drink it down slowly, don't let her choke on it, or she might die because of that."

Reimu nodded, as Sanae helped to open Elma's mouth, as Richard stood up with a vengeful expression.

"...Erika is wrong. Kishibe won't be suffering just socially. She will suffer tenfold the torture she dealt onto Elma. I swear it-!" Richard said, before he noticed something coming for him.

"Get away from Elma, you bastards!" A male voice was heard, as a figure lunged at Richard, as he was forced to dodge aside, as Kuro immediately reacted, by catching the figure mid-flight. "Let go of me, you beef-headed overgrown lizard on two legs! I'll make you pay for what you did to the one person who cared for me!"

"Not happening, runt." Kuro coldly stated.

Richard then turned to get a good look at the attacker, as it was a purple miniature bipedal demon Digimon, with green eyes, and red clawed gloves on his hands, as well as a scarf tied around his neck. He also had jester-like horns on the sides of his head, and there was a smiley face on the centre of his chest. The Digimon was struggling against Kuro's grip with a grunt, as Richard knew the Digimon to be Impmon.

"Calm down. We're Elma's friend." Richard stated. "You... You must have been the one to protect her, right? How long has she been like this?"

"Don't play dumb, you upstart prick!" Impmon shouted back, refusing to calm down. "You're definitely Kishibe's goons, sent to torture and extract things from her! I don't care if I have to tear every single limb off, I'm going to slash that arrogant faces of you all into ribbons!"

"Do that, and I'll vaporise you into nothing." Kuro threatened back with a glare at Impmon, which caused the small demon to flinch a little, as he stopped struggling as much.

"...Damn it... I guess this is it. You're here to dispose of both of us on Kishibe's orders. Just like I heard her." Impmon spoke in a shaky voice with hopelessness in his voice, as he drooped his head down, as tears leaked from his eyes. "Go ahead, finish it. I bet you fed Elma poison to get rid of her. At least let me go first... I don't want to see her die like this..."

Richard looked at Impmon with eyes filled with sympathy, as he looked at Kuro. "Kuro. Let go of him. I think that he's in no mood or condition to be attacking anyone." Richard ordered him with a calm look in his eyes.

"But, Richard... What if he...!?" Kuro said, before he then remember what Richard was capable of before in Under Zero, as he dropped Impmon. "As you wish."

Impmon landed on the ground with a thud onto his belly, as he slowly get up onto his feet.

"What are you... doing...? Why are you letting me go? Just so that you could have me run, while all of you hunt me down somewhere else?" Impmon asked back with hostility in his voice, although he didn't move at all."I'm done playing with you. If I'm going to die, it's with Elma. Even though I was a reject... She still accepted me and showed me kindness, so I can't just leave her to die a lone death."

"No... We're not going to do any of that. And that bottle we fed her... It's not poison." Richard shook his head gently. "I'm sorry that you had to watch Elma suffer like that. And I feel much guilt for being so ignorant to her suffering. Had I known that she was in Kishibe's grasp all this time..."

As Reimu poured the last of the potion down Elma's throat, as the effects were quickly shown, as most of her wounds and bruises faded in a flash of green light, as her face slowly returned to its original colour, as Elma's expression became less and less pained. Soon enough, she was healed, as she slowly stirred to consciousness, as she blinked her eyes a few times groggily.

"...Where am I? Is... Is she back... Kishibe... she really... is a true demoness..." Elma spoke in a weak voice, having recently recovered.

Richard then rushed to Elma, before he then grabbed her hand. "Elma... I'm so glad... that you're fine..." Richard stated with a expression of joy on his face, as tears of relief ran from his eyes, as he held the hand tightly. "If you didn't... I couldn't ever forgive myself-"

Reimu and Sanae helped get Elma back up on her feet, as Elma saw them both. "Reimu... Sanae... Did you come here, to save me?" Elma asked, as she smiled warmly, as she also saw Gus and Antonio. "Thank you... everyone... I'm so happy we're back together."

"Yeah... I'm glad that you're all safe and sound now. We'll make sure that you won't have to suffer through this again." Reimu nodded with a melancholic smile on her face. "You're alright to stand up by yourself, right?"

"...Yes. I think so." Elma confirmed back, as she turned to the Impmon, who was shocked to see Elma recovered. "Ah, Adam..."

"Elma... I... I...!" The Impmon named Adam stated, as tears leaked from his eyes, as he bit his lip to try not to cry, only to cry loudly. "WAAAAAAAAA!"

Adam then rushed at Elma, as he cried into her chest, as Elma soothed him with a few pats to the head. "There, there." Elma stated. "Everything is going to be fine."

"So... I guess this is your Digimon partner, Elma..." Richard stated. "I'm just so ecstatic to have recovered you."

Adam then stopped crying, as he turned to Richard with some tears still persisting in his eyes.

"I guess I was wrong all along. You really are Elma's friends. I'm not apologising to lizard-knight here, but..." Adam said, as he then frowned a little in guilt and regret. "I'm sorry for doubting you earlier. It's just that... everyone who came here only sought to torture and use Elma. I couldn't trust anyone, especially that sow Kishibe... She's the one who threw me in with her. And she was the one who protected me all those times from torture. I tried to fight back, and all it did was to get her and me hurt even more."

Kuro merely chuckled at the insult from Adam. "He got quite the mouth." He commented with some humour in his voice.

"...It's fine. I forgive you." Richard stated with a nod. "You took care of Elma in my stead. And where are my manners? I should tell you my name. It's Richard Lin, Kage of the Hudie Hackers. Elma is one of my companions, and we were separated from each other for so long."

Richard then reached a hand out, as Adam looked at it, before he then walked over and shook it.

"I'm Adam, the one who is going to make sure that Elma will never have to be hurt again by those who would see to it. It's a promise I made to her." Adam responded back.

Erika, and Keisuke were inside one of the drawers, as Gus and Antonio returned to their search, as they were busy trying to help the former duo in finding dirt on Kishibe.

"Ugh... There are files hidden in the dresser." Erika spoke with disgust, as she searched the drawer filled with female lingerie for Kishibe, before she then pulled out a large digital file in her hand. "This is it! The Cyber Crimes data!"

Everyone heard Erika's announcement, as they gathered around her.

"Great job, Keisuke! You found it for us!" Wormmon congratulated Keisuke, who rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well, all in a day's work, I guess." Keisuke said, before he noticed Elma who was with Richard's group now. "Wait, Richard... That's the last of your missing friends, right?"

"Verily so. Our group is finally reunited together." Richard answered back with a smile. "This is Elma Darknight. She's kinda of the team's cheerleader. And hearing what Kishibe has done to her... It makes me want to tear Kishibe to coded shreds."

"Well well well! What do we have here!?" Kishibe's voice rang. "Such an unexpected surprise!"

Rie Kishibe appeared in the room, as Keisuke was surprised, as Erika glared at her, while Richard looked her with pure animosity, while the rest of the members immediately circled around Elma to protect her, while their Digimon prepared themselves for battle.

"Rie.." Erika said.

"KI. SHI. BE." Richard growled with barely controlled anger. "'Speak of the devil, and they shall appear.' Fitting saying in this situation, especially when you're far worse than one, you manipulative bitch."

"And why are you going through my undie drawer?" Kishibe asked in mock shock, as she clutched her cheeks in her hands. "Oh! Have you been looking at my dainties!? Eek. I'm. So. Embarrassed."

"Spare me your fucking theatrics." Richard growled back at Kishibe. "I could care little about your twisted privacy."

"Yooouuuu! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Adam cried, as he rushed at Kishibe, only to be stopped when Elma grabbed him and held him close to her in a hug. "Elma... What are you... WE CAN'T LET HER GET AWAY."

"I know... But Richard and the others wouldn't let us do that. They're worried about our safety. And I'm sure that Richard will bring just punishment to Kishibe..." Elma reasoned with Adam.

"Exactly..." Richard said. "You must have known me so well, to be able to predict that. You aren't safe her, the two of you. I'll get Reimu and Sanae to escort you back to the server entrance. There, you'll be safe."

"But... I WANT TO TEAR HER TO PIECES RIGHT HERE AND NOW! CONSEQUENCES BE DAMNED TO HELL!" Adam shouted.

Before he could say anything more, he was conked out by a chop to the head from Reimu, which dropped him quite easily, as Elma picked him up, as she immediately exited the room, with Reimu, Sanae and their Digimon partners coming with them.

"Go, Wormmon. You know what to do, right?" Erika asked Wormmon.

"Yup! Be careful, you all!" Wormmon said, as he fled through the exit door as well.

"Erika Mishima... yes? How is your brother, what's-his-name?" Kishibe taunted, before turning to Richard, enjoying Richard's twisted expression. "Oh, I remember you, you're that lowlife hacker who tried to stop my plans."

"...That's not the only thing you're going to pay for. No, that little stunt has fallen to the bottom of the list." Richard stated with a twisted smile. "Congrats, Rie Kishibe. You are now the second person in this entire world that has managed to push me beyond my tolerable limits of my endless rage, with one single action.

"Oh? And what is that, hacker?" Kishibe asked with a drawl.

"You have made the fatal mistake of screwing my friend, Elma, over. Torturing her for your pleasure, and trying to break her for some extra nutrition for your sick plans." Richard stated back. "You will learn one thing before I send you spiralling through the layers of hell: Nobody lives to lay a finger on my friends, especially harm them to this degree, and leave to tell the tale."

"You're going to pay! For my brother and for Chitose!" Erika declared.

"Chitose? Oh dear, he didn't get his other friends mixed in all that, did he?" Keisuke chuckled. "Hee hee! What an oaf! I suppose you all come for revenge? Do you think you're in any position to do that? After all, you're the cause of all his suffering. I really should thank you, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to wrap little Ryuji around my finger so easily. I took Mr Justice-Warrior hacker, Number 2 at Jude, and made him do all my dirty work for me. And it was oh. So. Much. Fun!"

"And what about Elma? What warranted you to torture her, someone who had nothing to do with all of this? Your sadistic pleasures?" Richard asked back in a harsh tone.

"Oh, that little cutie? I truly enjoyed seeing her cry with a broken soul, as she cried for help when none was there. I enjoyed beating her little cute face in, because looking at it makes me so envious of her natural beauty!" Kishibe giggled maniacally. "When her little piece of scrap for a Digimon partner tried to stop me, I had her beaten with him for punishment. I almost felt like I was going to literally fall into eternal pleasure, as I watched her suffer day by day, as my little toy!"

Richard then bowed his head in silence, as he was left speechless.

"Oh dear, did I make you cry, big boy?" Kishibe mocked Richard. "Your little Digimon friend is hiding something, no? Were you really planning on getting one over me? Did you really think I would let you ever do that? Hee hee hee, let me show you my true form-"

Suddenly, a sukima appeared in front of Richard, as a long dagger was shot through it, as it shot so close to Kishibe's face, that it grazed the entirety of her face, leaving a large bleeding gash on her left cheek, as the dagger pierced right through one of the self-portraits. He then raised his head, as his eyes were completely emotionless, as endless fury was seen inside of his eyes, as Kishibe was frozen on the spot, as she was completely shocked to see blood drawn from her avatar.

"...No. Not only do I plan on making sure that you lose your reputation." Richard stated with a frighteningly frigid tone, which surpassed the very coldness of his tone before. "I am going to slice off every single one of your limbs, and I will take your limbless body, as I staunch your bleeding, so that you will be denied the merciful death you are destined to never receive. Erika is going to socially ruin you, but I... I am going to destroy everything that is you. Your body, your mind, your soul, your very existence. I will ensure that death eternally eludes you, as I try upon the worst of punishments ever devised in the history of existence, under the works of Yuuka Kazami, the Violent Sadist Queen of the Sun Garden. You will be filled with pain infinitely worse than what is inflicted upon Elma by your hand, and you will scream for mercy, as your cries will not only be drowned, but they will be the dinner bell for those who wish to see your eternal suffering. And when I see that you are completely broken without any recovery, I will throw you into the Sanzu River of Higan, where your soul and existence will be consumed by the eldrtich terrors that lie within its depths, as you return to nothing."

Everyone was left speechless at Richard's hate-filled declaration of making Kishibe suffer, as Kishibe herself was struck by fear, as she was unnerved by the very anger that lied within Richard's eyes now, as it crushed her with a unknown pressure on her mind that forced her to fear him.

"You... You..." Kishibe cried. "You dare scratch my face! I will make you die suffering, you little wench!"

Kishibe then transformed in front of Richard, as she turned into a slender pink armoured figure, as she had golden bands around her knees and elbows, as there were various golden ribbons sprouting from various parts of her torso and head, as she had a golden arm shield with a pink saint cross on it, and a spherical blue gem in the centre of it.

"Enough talk! I am Crusadermon! And I shall snatch the shining rose of victory." The now-transformed Kishibe declared, as she plucked out a rose. "Sweat, beautiful sweat, how it shall flow as I pen your demise!"

Richard didn't answer back, as he recalled Kuro into his Digivice. "All of you, do not interfere. Keisuke, you know exactly why I tell this to you." Richard stated in a dark tone.

The Unmei Force members immediately acknowledged the commands of their leader, as Keisuke recalling back what Richard did to the Dreamin' leader, as he was much more merciful and controlled than he is right now, as he dragged a awed Erika back, to allow space for Richard to come.

Richard summoned only his dark-purple katana. "You know... All this time, I've been trying to play nice. I've let our Digimon partners have their share of experience and training, as well as being the ones to bring about our success." Richard stated, glaring at the blade. "And I've recalled that you're one of the Royal Knights, meaning your death will have consequences. But I care not. I care not for what comes next. I care not how you plead and beg for your life in the next few minutes. Nothing will change your fate, because I will be the one who pens YOUR demise."

Richard then reached his hand out, as a grey-aura appeared around it, before he then slammed it on the ground, as it formed a large grey arcane magic-circle on the ground, as another appeared under Crusadermon's feet. "Let's see how long you'll survive without your tricks and moves."

Crusadermon laughed, as she was amused by Richard's threat. "How amusing, you believe that just because you can do a few tricks like this, you are a match for me, the Knight of Victory! I will make you realise your folly, as you die a violet death before your friends!" Crusadermon laughed, as she charged at Richard with her shielded fist cocked back. "Athena's Fist!"

Richard merely smiled, as he braced himself, as he spread both of his legs apart, as he cupped both of his hands over each other, as he caught the fist of the Mega Digimon with little effort, as Crusadermon let out a shocked gasp, as her special move was negated by Richard's defence.

"What's the matter, Crusadermon?" Richard asked. "Feeling not so well? If you're declaring your attack, that was supposed to be one of your grandest attacks, no?"

"I-Impossible!" Crusadermon cried out in denial, before she reached her hand out. "I'll shred you to pieces with my own power! Gaia Element!"

Nothing happened, as Richard slowly walked over to Crusadermon, flicking his sword to his side.

"Destruction Cannon! Hell Crusher!" Crusadermon declared, as her voice became more and more frantic, as she was being cornered by Richard. "Why... WHY CAN'T I CAST ANY OF MY POWERFUL MAGIC!?"

"That's exactly your weakness, Crusadermon." Richard stated, as he slowly stepped forward as his katana began to gain a dark glow around it. "Most of your moves relies on the use of magic. And you know what I took just before? Why your Fist of Athena was blocked without a single scratch on me?"

Crusadermon was gasping, as she was beginning to feel dread at the awakened monster in human flesh before her. "D-Don't tell me!?" Crusadermon questioned back.

"Yes. What I just did before was a little trick that I have learnt for myself after practising it with countless hours and days of cultivating it, and near-endless blood and sweat poured into its mastery: A silent magic incantation that is able to nullify the use of any magic or related abilities." Richard explained the ability he used in the beginning. "Had you not wasted your time, and made the first move, you might have had a chance to keep your magic abilities, or you could achieve the same result by interrupting my spell mid-use. But you waited there like a complete fool, just because you are so obsessed and arrogant, believing your power would last against me."

"No... NO... Impossible!" Crusadermon cried in true fear. "I can't be destroyed here!"

"And to rub some more salt into the gaping wound on your pride, the spell also comes with a consequence that I must bear. For as long as my spell remains active, I too, am barred from access to using magic, except the most basic of its forms. After all the training, that was all I could achieve to retain my magic when I reduced the power of my opponent. The proportion that is negated from the opponent depends on the power of the opponent in magical terms." Richard stated, as he grinned evilly. "And by the looks of it, your magic power is far much lower than mine, to have been nullified completely. You are a eyesore who doesn't deserve the name of 'Royal Knight'. I did this so that I could see your pride crumble, as I fulfil my promise for vengeance upon you."

"Stay back... STAY BACK!" Crusadermon yelled, as she backed away slowly. "Even if you have nullified my magic, I still have my trump card: Spiral Masquerade!"

Crusadermon's various ribbons perked up, as they swivelled and turned like extra appendages, before they darted at Richard at a rapid speed.

"Die... DIE!" Crusadermon declared, as she attacked Richard continuously.

Richard did not stop advancing, as he deflected most of the blows directed at him with his katana, as they pinged off his katana harmlessly, as some of them manage to strike their targets, as Richard flinched and shook with each blow inflicted at him, although he continued to walk forward, as his katana was completely engulfed by the dark aura around it.

"No... It's time for you to DIE." Richard retorted back, as he raised his blade to attack. "Farewell, Crusadermon, may you suffer for your sins against me, your executioner."

"NOOOOOOOO! I CAN'T DIE! I REFUSE TO DIE! I MUST... I MUST FLEE!" Crusadermon whimpered, as she immediately phased out of the room, in pure fear, as she sought to get as far away from Richard as possible.

Richard then sheathed his blade, as he seemed to have a frustrated expression on his face.

"Tch. Ran away... That's what I get for not attacking her at the moment, instead intimidating her." Richard hissed, as he left the dark aura around his blade subside, as his tone changed to the usual lighter one he had, his target no longer before him, as he threw his katana into a nearby summoned sukima. "Erika.. You should know where Rie's body is?"

"It should be in the Metropolitan building." Erika stated. "We'll get her there."

"Good, because this time, she'll have nowhere to run, in the real world." Richard replied back, as he immediately headed out of the room, as the rest of the group followed after him.

* * *

 _At the top of the Metropolitan Building..._

The entire group arrived at the helipad on the top of the Metropolitan Buidling, plus Elma, who was being protected by Reimu and Sanae by her sides, as they saw that Kishibe was waiting on the helipad, with her usual smile, as Matayoshi came, as he received the data that Erika transferred to him, as he mobilised a squad of police to surround the building, and allow Kishibe no escape.

"Kishibe! Give it up! You've got nowhere to run!" Matayoshi cried.

"You're quicker than I thought, Detective Matayoshi." Kishibe smiled. "Erika, was this your doing. You're a vicious little scamp, aren't you?'

Erika seemed to be quite weak, as the lack of treatment for her illness left her huffing for breath.

"Oh dear! The real world can be so cruel, can't it? Could it be you haven't been doing your therapy?" Kishibe mocked Erika. "Oh, but of course you haven't. You don't want your poor brother to be indebted to me, do you? But going on as you are, just how long do you think you'll last? Without me, do you think you'll be able to find treatment for your condition, little Erika?"

"Erika, don't waste your words on her." Richard stated. "You're outmatched and outnumber, Kishibe. Do you think that you'll win against us? You're only a human in the real world, and I'll tell you this: My avatar is just as strong as I am in this world. So you're going nowhere."

"No. I caused this, so I'll finish this. Even if I have to drag my weak and weighted body around, I'll end it with my own hands!" Erika declared. "Let me show you, Kishibe."

"And what are going to do, dragging that empty, pain-filled body of yours? Why should I fear you?" Kishibe cackled.

Erika then walked up to Kishibe, and slapped her across the cheek, as the uncaring lady shrieked in pain, clutching the hit cheek. "That's what real pain feels like." Erika stated. "Strong, isn't it? Not like the simulated pain response in EDEN. Those are signals a real human body sends out! Way stronger than the artificial electronic signals you're used to! Don't you mock real human pain again!"

"I see... Thank you for the lesson. Since you taught me so well, I'm returning the favour!" Kishibe smirked, as she slapped Erika across the cheek harder, as her Toto doll was dislodged from her shoulder.

Erika merely grunted, as she grit her teeth, as she charged at Kishibe, as the two of them engaged in a fight, as they slapped, kicked, threw, and punched each other without restraint.

"Woah... Erika really knows how to fight..." Keisuke was shocked at the fighting scene that he was seeing, while Elma looked at Erika with eyes that reflected her respect of Erika showing that she can fight back and has the will to do it.

Some police officers managed to reach the roof, as they saw the battle, and tried to stop it, only to be called off by a wave of Matayoshi's hand.

"A gentleman never gets between two women fighting." Matayoshi said. "I have trust that Erika will win this bout."

Soon, both of the female combatants seperated from each other, as Kishibe was dangerously close to the edge.

"Ungh..." Kishibe grunted.

"Finished already? You're more than a wimp than I thought." Erika groaned.

"Ha... Don't be stupid, you can't keep up with me..." Kishibe chuckled weakly. "That is what's so repulsive about humans... But it doesn't matter. Soon, I'll bid farewell to this body-"

Before Kishibe could finish, Richard charged at Kishibe at running speed, as Matayoshi and the police-men were surprised to see Richard charging up, and try to stop him, only for Richard to get to her first, as he winded back his leg, taking his last step.

"Surprise, bitch!" Richard exclaimed. "If you want to ditch that body of yours! Then allow me to send you on its final voyage!"

Richard then kicked Kishibe right in the chest, as the force of his kick sent her flying over the railing, as she screamed all the way down, before there was a loud crunch.

"Au reviour, Rie Kishibe..." Richard spoke solemnly, as he put his foot back down on the ground slowly. "Nobody is going to miss you at all."

Matayoshi looked over the railing, as he saw Rie's crushed body, before turning to Richard with a angered expression. "Do you know what you have done!?" Matayoshi roared back.

"Don't bother. She's already dead before she even hit the ground with a juicy splat." Richard stated. "She ran back into the Digital World, where she will be punished for her crimes by the rightful beings."

Erika then fell to her knees, as everyone got over to where she was.

"Does... Does this mean it's over? Did we really get revenge for Ryuji and Chitose?" Erika asked with a shocked tone.

"No... If she really is Crusadermon..." Keisuke said. "She might still be there in EDEN. It's not over yet."

"But, I can still consider this revenge?" Erika questioned back, as she then looked away, as tears flowed from her eyes. "I'm only crying because of the pain I'm feeling right now... Especially on the cheek where I got hit."

Richard and Keisuke looked at each other, as if they knew what to do, as they both hugged Erika from both sides.

"Ah!" Erika cried, as she noticed the hugs, as she cried harder, as her voice became more and more shaky. "Ryuji... Chitose... I'm sorry..."

She then cried onto Keisuke's chest, as Richard pat her back comfortingly.

"It's all over now, is it?" Gus asked Richard.

"Yeah... I guess about this... it is." Richard said. "Now, Ryuji won't have to ever be tortured by Erika's life being held in one's grasp. He might be able to recover, if he is still willing to forgive himself..."

They all were silent, as the police sirens, and Erika's sobs were the only sounds they heard during the entire moment of silence...


	21. Chapter 20: K and Digital Event

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 20: K and Digital Event

* * *

 _In the real world, the internet cafe, Hudie..._

Keisuke and Richard were searching the Bulletin Boards of Hudie, as the only effective members of the team, as Erika was left in her room to allow her time to gather herself, as she lied herself down on a pillow, Ryuji was still missing after the events of Under Zero, and Chitose still hasn't woken up, the last time the duo checked on them.

"Jeez... Ever since Under Zero, there has been very few requests that actually matter." Richard stated. "All of them now boil down to 'beating X hacker team', or 'bringing X items for payment', or even 'finding X for me'. I never thought that I would actually find this to be disappointing."

Keisuke was about to add in his opinion, before his phone rang, as he picked up the call. When he did, his expression was filled with shock, before it turned into cold rage, as he hung the phone immediately after whoever was on the other side finished talking.

"Damnit..." Keisuke swore under his breath. "Of all those things, he knows how to keep me under his thumb..."

"It's K again, isn't it?" Richard asked. "We almost forgot that damn manipulative hacker is still lurking about."

"He wants to see me again, and what is strange is that... He wants to see you as well." Keisuke replied back.

"Damn, he must have something planned for the two of us. But still, I'll have Kuro at the ready if things go south again." Richard answered back. "Demons's hideout? That place was trashed by Nokia and David the last time we were there. Why would they be still there?"

"I don't know. But I have to go, my lost account is the exact reason why I got involved in this entire mess." Keisuke told Richard.

"Fair enough. And I'll do all I can to ensure that you'll be able to find a resolution to this crisis." Richard answered back, as he slipped on his EDEN visor, as he turned to the other members. "Back away, only Keisuke and I this time."

"...Take care, Big Brother." Elma told Richard with a worried tone, before he and Keisuke logged into EDEN.

* * *

 _In the Demons's hideout..._

Richard and Keisuke entered the trashed forum, as they saw K being accompanied by a group of masked Demon Hackers, as they made themselves comfy, with two of them sitting on the bench chairs and the benchtop, and another standing near K.

"Thank you for coming, both of you." K welcomed them. "Let me introduce you. These are members of the original Demons. They're top-notch hackers who survived the ZAXON-led roundup of Demons remnants, and they managed to stay out of that Under Zero business, too."

"Yeah, how convenient for you, K." Richard scoffed derisively.

"We're relaunching the Demons." K declared in a straight-forward manner. "We're calling ourselves the 'New Demons'. The Demons were broken up thanks to a foolish leader, and the brutality of the ZAXON hacker team, who acted like guardians of EDEN. But it's still too early for us to bow down... They're aren't the true leaders of EDEN. It's time for me, K, to lead the way to a real paradise. Our time has finally arrived! It's time for us, the downtrodden, to bring about a whole new order!"

K then crossed his arms. "Well?" K asked. "This is what I wanted you both to witness, the birth of a true legend. A poser like Jimmy KEN is no legend."

"Neither are you, the one who instigated all of this! Talk! Where is Keisuke's account, you sly asshole!?" Richard roared.

"Ah, ah, Richard. Let's finish my conversation with Keisuke. I asked him who he was." K said. "Why are you after Keisuke Amazama's account?"

"What do you mean?" Keisuke asked with a growl. "Why are you saying it like that?"

"I've been trying to figure that out the whole time I've been helping you out. The reason is..." K continued, before he reached for his mask, as he took it off, revealiing Keisuke's own face. "...Because I'm Keisuke Amazama."

"Wha... This... This can't be...!" Keisuke stuttered, at the shock of seeing his own eyes stare back at him. "Did... Were you...!?'

"So who are you, anyway? Why are you using my name?" K asked back.

"Because I'm the real Keisuke! You must be imitating me here and now!" Keisuke shouted back.

"Why do you keep on saying that?" K asked with a dark expression. "Memories can be falsified once they become data. How do you know your mental data wasn't altered when you logged in?"

"Because there was only one Digimon who could achieve that, changing mental data! And even it had troubles in changing things about my memories!" Richard shouted back. "What makes you think that anyone else is capable, if this is the degree that one Digimon can achieve?"

"You are truly more naive than you look." K said. "I've wasted too much time trying to argue with you."

K then lifted a finger, a blue glowing cubic cage appeared around Richard and Keisuke, as they were surprised by their sudden capture.

"What the!?" Richard cried. "What the hell is this!?"

"This is my own special electromagnetic cage. It traps your mental data, and prevents you from logging out." K answered back. "Until you confess who you are, and why you're using my name, you're not going anywhere. I can't have any other 'me' running around, trying to fool everyone into thinking they're the real one."

"Like hell! Keisuke won't ever confess that he's a fake! You're the damn fake!" Richard shouted back with anger, pointing at K with a accusing finger. "If you want a confession, make it your own!"

"Believe what you will. You're still trapped in there with the fake." K smirked, before he then noticed that Richard was pounding his fists against the cage, as it reverberated with each strike, but refuses to give way. "Don't bother struggling. It won't break just like that. All communication is blocked."

"Don't try to lie to me! Your little cage won't keep me in for long!" Richard cried, as he slammed straight after straight at the digital cage bars. "You think you're going to make me give up! In your dreams, impostor!"

"Oh really? Then if you insist, let me show you something then." K stated, as he slid the mask back over his face, before he then took it off again, as another face was behind it. "Have a good look. Does this remind you of anything?"

Keisuke was left confused by the new face, although Richard immediately stopped resisting, as he looked at the face with a expression of shock and denial, as he stepped back.

"No... No... It can't be... That face... Where did you get it from...? WHERE DID YOU GET HER FACE FROM!?" Richard cried, as he literally pushed himself against the bars with a snarl.

"I'm afraid that you will never get to know that." K stated in a mature voice, as her face was that of a Asian female that seemed to be of the same age as Richard, as she had long flowing black hair around the back and sides of her head, as her brown eyes stared back at Richard. She then slid her mask back on, before reverting back to Keisuke's face and voice. "I can keep you both here your whole life, and in the real world, they will treat you as victims of EDEN Syndrome. If you actually HAVE bodies that is..."

"You bastard! YOU FUCKING SNAKE-FACED BASTARD!" Richard cried, as he returned to pounding his fists against the bars.

"Remember, 'I' am Keisuke Amazawa, not the fake beside you." K stated. "The sooner you realise that, the better. It will save you the heart-break when you know I am telling the cold hard truth."

K then left the server, as the Demon members looked at Richard and Keisuke.

"Well, I think that we've done quite a good job. Without their leader and his right-hand, it's a simple job to take care of the other members. With Kage and Spectre locked up, no-one will have a chance in stopping us." One of them said.

Richard merely growled, as he was prepared to summon a sukima, to summon a sword to cut through the digital cage.

"Fuck you, you arrogant mimic, your little trap won't last long against-" Richard cursed.

"Are you okay?" Wormmon's voice was heard from Keisuke's back.

When they heard the Digimon's voice, they turned around to look at Wormmon, who was clinging onto Wormmon's back.

"Wormmon? What are you doing here!?" Keisuke asked.

"Erika told me to rescue you if you got into trouble." Wormmon answered back, before he then had a prideful look on his face. "I've been practically on your back the whole time! I'm awesome, huh?"

"If you're awesome, then how about you help break this cage open... FROM INSIDE." Richard stated in a unemotional tone.

"Aaargh! You're right! I can't get out either!" Wormmon cried. "What do we do now!? Help! Erika! HEEEELLLPPP!"

"Wow... You're such a pain in the butt." Erika stated, as a projection of her appeared in front of them, from Wormmon's head symbol.

"Oh! Erika! I love you!" Wormmon stated. "But how am I still transmitting inside the cage? I thought the 'K' guy said that it blocked all communication in and out of it."

"Of course not, Digimon don't hallucinate." Erika scolded Wormmon. "It's because of the special link between us, since we share the memory server together. It seems that K's fancy cage doesn't block this connection."

"Well, we owe you for making this contingency plan. And I'm glad you've recovered so quickly from before." Richard thanked Erika. "Now please help us. Neither of us has the expertise to be able to edit this cage out."

"I'm going to analyse this cage... Hmm... K created this cage by rewriting the EDEN map data. It's hard to believe that such a difficult and significant change was made by a single hacker. He truly is a legend-class hacker." Erika commented on the matter. "As for what he had said... Richard was right. He is merely trying to confuse you. If you need proof... Wormmon."

Wormmon immediately nodded, he glowed a little with a blue shining light, that slowly expanded to cover the entirety of the duo's sight, as they found themselves in a grey area, as screens depicting the greyscale memories that Erika had with the team, as well as Richard, as there was a shot of her scoring a kick on Gus's groin the first time they met suddenly, as Richard turned away quickly to avoid flinching at the sight of such a gruesome memory, as he saw a scene where Richard tended to Erika when she fainted from her illness.

"These are memories of Erika in EDEN. She pulled them off the server with me as a relay." Wormmon stated.

"Even if you don't trust your own memories, seeing yourself in other people's memories must prove otherwise, right?" Erika asked back. "But I understand about that. Most of my memory is digitised, as both of you already know. I don't even know if I live truly in EDEN or the real world, and it scares me. But you're not like me, Keisuke. Your mind and body are still together. You can feel it even when you're in EDEN. You're in that chair in that booth, right here in Hudie."

"I..." Keisuke replied to Erika's pep-talk speech, as he nodded. "You're right. I won't ever doubt myself. I'm real, and I always will be."

"Glad to hear that." Erika nodded with a smile. "It's all done, you're free."

The light faded away, as the digital cage trapping them has been completely gone.

"Way to go, Erika! You hacked in while we were talking!" Wormmon cheered for Erika.

"But of course. My processing speed is far beyond that of a normal person. My brain is... well, EDEN itself." Erika stated. "Better get moving, K could come back."

Erika's projection disappeared, as the Demons hackers that were watching the duo struggle, were shocked that the cage was completely gone.

"You! How the hell did you break the cage-!?" A hacker asked them.

Before they could pull out their Digivices, Richard rushed forward, as he snatched them off, before he then threw them with mighty force against a nearby wall, as they broke upon impact, rendering them completely useless with cracked screens and sparks running from their shattered chassis. The Demons hackers were shocked by how they were unable to summon their Digimon without it, as Richard grabbed Keisuke by the arm.

"Come on! Let's get out of here before they snap out of it!" Richard cried.

Keisuke then nodded, as they returned back to the real world, logging out of EDEN.

* * *

 _In the real world..._

Richard then took his EDEN visor off, as he let out a sigh of relief. "The danger's over for now..." Richard muttered to himself.

As Keisuke logged out, he turned around to come face to face with Erika.

"You both are real idiots, walking into a obvious trap like that." Erika stated. "But then again, you must have gone only yourself, Richard, so that your friends won't be stuck."

"Yeah, it was a clever move that I use a cautionary measure against stuff like this. Not that I wouldn't have dealt with it myself." Richard stated. "I guess we now know who's the real perpetrator behind Keisuke's missing account."

"Indeed, what if all this time, K was pointing you towards all those other hackers as a way of taking the suspicion off himself, Keisuke?" Erika questioned the other boy. "On top of that, you stated that he seemed strange after you beat Akira Hosaka, right? It could be that Hosaka was a puppet avatar controlled by K."

"It's possible, considering the nasty surprise of Digimon he left with me in the last meeting..." Richard stated in agreement.

"He made you overconfident by letting you think you beat the bad guy, but the whole time he was trying to get your mental data..." Erika continued her theory. "I'm not sure why, but he was trying to completely take your place, by making you disappear, so that he can become the 'real you' inside EDEN. Be careful though, he must be backed into a corner to try this."

"Doesn't matter. We're going to bring him to justice, with force or without." Richard stated, pounding his fist into his hand in a menacing gesture.

"Erika, thanks to you, I feel like that I'm much better, and I've got more confidence in the matter." Keisuke thanked Erika.

"Seriously? I can't believe you... Aren't you embarrassed?" Erika asked back with a timid tone and a blush.

"No... It's really what I have to say." Keisuke answered back.

"By the way, Arata Sanada has recently placed a important request on the Bulletin Board." Erika notified everyone about a new request. "It states 'I've got a massive job... I could use your help. If you're interested, meet me in Shinjuku. For the pride of all us hackers... I'm going to take a bite outta that woman's butt!'."

The girls were most affected by the crude comment in the request, as Reimu merely let out a cry of disgust, as Sanae covered her faces with her hands, and Elma almost fainted on the spot.

"I still haven't been able to reach my brother. Perhaps Sanada might have some clue about where he went, since they used to be hackers of Jude." Erika stated. "Will you go for me?"

"Of course. Nothing else we can do." Richard stated with crossed arms. "Come on, let's go find ourselves one former legend of a hacker leader."

They soon left Hudie, as they made their way through to Shinjuku, where they found Arata and a group of allied hackers standing together in a small park.

"Huh? You're from Hudie..." Arata said. "You must have came because of the message on the board. But where's Ryuji...?"

"That's what we want to know. He's gone without a trace, and we thought that there might be a chance you might have a idea." Keisuke answered the question.

"You can't reach him? What happened?" Arata asked, as he became a little uneasy.

Keisuke merely bowed his head. "It's a long story... and one that I prefer not to repeat again, especially to someone like you."

He then recounted the events of Under Zero, as well as Chitose's demise from a hacker, sacrificing himself to save Ryuji, who immediately slumped over and became catatonic from despair and loss.

"Chitose came down with EDEN Syndrome while protecting Ryuji!?" Arata asked, before he then grit his teeth. "Seriously!? Damn! How many of my friends has that woman messed with!? Damn her... That makes me want to pull this off more than ever. We've got a way to stop Kishibe's plan, which involves destroying the whole world."

Keisuke, Gus, Antonio, Elma and Sanae gasped, as Richard and Reimu were the only ones without a reaction.

"Destroying the world? Oh no..." Elma stated with fear.

"Yeah, craziest thing I ever heard." Arata said. "We're not exactly sure of yet either... But my friend says she's either a pawn of some kind of super-strong Digimon, or is a Digimon herself. Anyway, the plan involves poking a hole between the 'Dimensional Wall' that separates the Digital World, where Digimon come from, and the real world. If she does that, a group of seriously scary Digimon called the Royal Knights are going to come and wipe out all of us humans."

"Genocidal beings on the other side!?" Antonio cried in shock in hearing about the Royal Knights. "Oh, this just got a lot more worse..."

"But there is a plan that we made to counter that. We're going to hack into a big electrical plant and cause a massive blackout in Tokyo." Arata explained his plan. "That should put a stop to her plan, since she won't have any power to fuel her devices in proceeding the plan forward. It may be a comic-book plot, but it's a real threat."

"The details don't matter, Arata! We're just psyched to get our hands dirty with something big like this!" One of the male hackers stated.

"Exactly. Reminds me of the old days... eh, Arata?" Another male hacker, as a ex-Jude team hacker, smiled at Arata.

"Hehe, cut it out. It's almost time." Arata said. "Everyone get to your place and wait for my signal!"

Everyone on Arata's side cried out their affirmation, as they left in the four directions, preparing for Arata's execution of their plan.

"I know how good you all are, especially when I heard how you and David cleared out Under Zero's Eater invasions by yourselves, as well as saving countless hackers from getting EDEN Syndrome." Arata stated. "I need your help in getting into the Roppongi Power Plant's server. The others are waiting for my signal, so you can go back to the store first. I'll send over the URL to get in, so that you'll be able to help from there, and the plan details, in case you forget them mid-way onto your objective."

"Much appeciated, Arata." Gus answered back with a respectful bow.

The group headed back to the internet cafe, Hudie, as Richard checked up with his team, while Keisuke talked with Erika about what they were going to do.

"Elma... Are you sure you want to come with us?" Richard asked. "Adam may be willing to fight for you, but he's too weak to be able to fight effectively. He'll need some actual training, if he wants to make it up to where everyone is."

"I can't just leave you, Richard, after all you have done for me." Elma stated. "If I have to go without Adam, then I'll do it, since I'll be there to help everyone recover between battles with my own healing magic."

"Well, I guess I've always pegged you down as the caring type who refuses to leave a ally or friend injured." Richard chuckled. "Alright, I'll have Adam sent to the place where he will get said training. While we're doing our work, I'll hand you over a Digivice that I managed to purchase from some hackers. They claimed it to be cursed, but I don't see anything bad about it. Plus, it's devilish and cute, so it should fit you."

"I... Thank you, Big Brother." Elma replied back with a slight blush on her cheeks. "I'm really happy and grateful to have a gift from you."

"Don't worry. Everyone is just too powerful to even find anyone who can actually provide a decent challenge, let alone be a actual threat to us." Richard assured Elma with a few head-pats, that made the demon girl show a bit of her timid attitude, as she let out a few 'meeps' with the pats.

Soon after, Keisuke exited Erika's room. "Alright, I'm ready to go." Keisuke told Richard.

"Glad you are." Richard said, as he read over Arata's message that is sent to him and Keisuke. "To recap our goals and orders from Arata. We're going to temporarily cut Tokyo's power from a hack in the power plant server, and we'll wait at a certain access point, and wait for his signal. For what... he didn't tell us yet. But we'll see in time."

Richard then sat down inside his booth, as he logged into EDEN with his EDEN visor over his eyes.

* * *

 _In the Roppongi Power plant server..._

The entire group found themselves in a factory-like area, as the platforms were made of metal, and there were scaffolding and wires under those said platforms. With them was Erika and Wormmon, who were going to provide assistance.

"Before I forget..." Richard said, as he produced a purple Digivice with toy black devil wings on its side. "Here's your Digivice, Elma. Take good care of it, it's quite fragile."

He then threw it at Elma, as she caught it with both hands, as she looked at it, before she pocketed it into her dress.

"Wow, awesome! It's like a vortex of Digital Waves!" Wormmon commented, as Richard went alert hearing that.

"'Could this be from Kishibe's plan?" Erika asked, as she looked around, tapping a few keys on her user interface. "There's too much digital noise for me to locate Akemi Suedou. We'll just have to search the old-fashioned way."

Hearing Suedou's name made Richard lose his alarmed attitude, as it is replaced by a resentful one, as he remained silent, save for a few growls.

As they progressed through the server, fighting off various machine-type Digimon, and shutting down the power supply units from inside the servers, they found Suedou pacing about.

"Akemi Suedou..." Richard hissed with anger. "There you are..."

Suedou then turned to face the group, as Elma was slightly frightened by his face. "...What's this? How did you get in here? Once again we meet in a strange place. If you managed to get past the security, you must be some talented hackers."

"Oh, how happy for you." Richard growled back. "What's a nutcase like you doing here? I bet that you have been working with Rie Kishibe, haven't you!?"

"Oh my... So you know about Ms Kishibe? You can't underestimate hackers these days." Suedou chuckled gravely. "Partners? I wouldn't say that. I suppose you could say we're using the same methods to achieve different ends. But I'm the one who formulated the behavioural theory for the Eater that she used. So in a sense, you could say that."

"Wow... Just by listening to you, I feel like that you and Kishibe really deserve each other." Antonio interjected with disgust in his voice.

"Oh, are you angry about something?" Suedou asked back in reply, as he scratched his head anxiously. "Unfortunately, I'm not very good at fighting. I prefer to deal with this peacefully."

"If you're not directly helping her, it's fine." Erika stated. "Just tell us what you know about EDEN Syndrome."

"Oh? So you want to know? You came all this way to ask that?" Suedou questioned back with a raised eyebrow filled with intrigue. "You determined my location and took down the power plant security just for that."

"Don't make yourself look as if you're important." Reimu harshly criticised Suedou. "You're merely a side priority. We came here to cut the Roppongi's power plant's power."

"Hehehe... Ha ha ha! Excellent!" Suedou laughed with joy, facing the sky. "You had a purpose and you acted on it! I truly admire you all! Here is a little reward from me."

Erika heard a chime from her user interface, as she received a message from Suedou, with his Eater thesis on it. "This is... your Eater thesis?" Erika asked back.

"If you can decode it, you can gain access to a 'certain' network." Suedou teased Erika with some information. "You'll be able to see the same things I see and hear the same things as I hear. Actually, I haven't finished the analysis of this either. I was just preparing to try out various different approaches. The possibilities of 'this' are infinite but my time is limited... I appreciate your assistance."

"And why the hell would we ever help your sorry ass!?" Richard shouted back. "There's no way we're doing shit for you, you two-faced bastard!"

"Because by searching through it, you will learn what you need about EDEN Syndrome." Suedou answered Richard's question without any change of emotion. "I never asked that you would have to tell me anything of what you find."

"So I can look at this if I want? Pretty generous of you, isn't it?" Erika questioned as well, suspicious of Suedou's true intentions.

"Knowledge should be shared with those who seek it." Suedou merely quoted. "I seek to control Eaters for my curiosity of the unknown, since they possess secrets beyond this world. Now, a torrent of massive Digital Waves to create oscillation in the virtual world strong enough to be detected by us has come... It seems we did well, Ms Kishibe..."

"What are you talking about...?" Sanae asked, as she saw Suedou look at a certain place, as everyone turned their attention to the same spot, as it was in a sky, as a large swirling hole of clouds and energy was seen, as Digimon of various statures and types poured from it, raining down on the server ground. "Wha...!?"

"What's that...!? Digimon from the sky...!?" Erika exclaimed, as her eyes were wide in disbelief of what she saw before her.

"Damnit... We're too late!" Richard shotued with anger. "Kishibe must have completed her plan!"

"The Dimensional Door has been unlocked. The physical laws of this world has finally been destroyed... Hehehe..." Suedou spoke in a mentally-obsessed tone.

"We have to hurry to the access point!" Gus said. "Arata said that he wants us there by the time he gives us the signal!"

Soon enough, Keisuke's Digivice buzzed, as Arata's voice rang from it. "Sorry I'm late! Almost ready to go! Are you at the access point!? If not, hurry up already! I'd like to make a shortcut for you all, but I'm too busy over here!"

The Digivice clicked at the end of the message, as Suedou looked at the group. "Oh my! It looks like you've got your hands full removing traces of your intrusion." Suedou commented on the situation happening now. "Let me help you as my way of apologising for putting you to such trouble."

"Screw you, we aren't going to letting you do jack!" Richard cried, as he turned away to leave. "Come on! I have the access point mapped out! We have to hurry, not waste more time with a mentally-unstable quack of a scientist!"

Everyone followed after Richard, as Suedou merely crossed his arms. "Truly, this person is getting quite... irritating in truth." Suedou grumbled to himself.

They made their way through, as they had to deal with some of the sky-fallen Digimon, who were inherently wild and hostile to them, as they managed to take down the one that was blocking their way to the access point, as they stood in front of it.

"Ready on this side! You guys better be there! Okay, let's shut the power!" Arata called them.

Keisuke and Richard nodded, as they both put up their user interface, as they controlled and manipulated the systems, before they finished their job.

" **Main power has been shut down.** " A female mechanical voice rang through the area.

"We stopped the plan overall... But it was too late... I'm sorry, I messed up." Arata apologised to the group.

"What do you mean?" Keisuke asked, as Arata hung up on his side."Hey... HEY!"

"I don't think he's joking around, Keisuke, let's log out, and see what has happened." Richard stated.

They soon logged out of EDEN, as they returned back to the real world.

* * *

 _In the real world...?_

The group then sprinted out of Hudie, as they got onto the streets, as they found themselves shocked without words of what they saw.

The entire city became much more darker, as the sky looked like it was placed in a eternal night, with dark skies, as there were also different coloured pixellated glitches on the faces and sides of buildings, especially digital boards like the one over a mall, as they saw that Digimon were roaming the city freely.

"...What happened?" Erika asked.

Richard didn't respond, as he pocketed around his body for his Digivice, as he managed to find it in one of his pockets, as he pulled it out.

"I guess... things got messy now..." Richard said, as he pressed the button to summon Kuro to his side, as he did many times, only this time in the real world that is merged with the Digital World.

Kuro appeared, as he looked around, surprised, before turning to Richard. "Richard... pal... Is this...!?" Kuro asked in shock.

"Yes... Kuro... Welcome to the real world..." Richard stated. "Welcome to a new world, that has been merged with your own..."


	22. Chapter 21: Arcadiamon And Zwart

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 21: Arcadiamon and Omnimon Zwart

* * *

 _In the mall..._

"The government is rushing to respond to the mysterious phenomenon that is still blanketing the greater Tokyo area." A female newscaster reported, as she was sitting on a desk, in a news programme, with a screen showing a part of the merged Tokyo area with Digimon in it. "We asked specialists about this strange phenomenon, which makes it seem like victims have been lost in some sort of virtual world, and-"

Richard then pressed the off button, as everyone except Erika was watching a nearby television for news on the situation. "We don't need to hear this anymore. We know exactly what the hell is going on. Digimon are running rampant along the Tokyo suburbs, and crap is starting to build up from various things happening all around because of them." He stated, before he then looked at his Digivice. "And we have our Digivices, so we shouldn't be worried about being unable to summon our partners to our sides."

"So, that's the 'news', huh?" Wormmon asked, as he came into the real world as a result of the Digital Event that just occurred before them. "It's actually quite informative."

Elma then picked up Wormmon, as she prodded and nudged him on various parts of his body, as he had varying reactions, ranging from giggles to moans, as he enjoyed Elma's soft probing on his body. "You look and feel so real, Wormmon..." Elma stated. "How is this possible?"

"He he, surprised? Awesome, ain't it!?" Wormmon excitedly exclaimed back, before he turned back to Keisuke. "Thanks to the massive Digital Shift, I can come to this world too! There's just so much to love about your world! So this is what 'physical' means. Hey, your Digimon haven't come here, Keisuke?"

Keisuke didn't reply, as he checked his pockets, before he produced his own Digivice. "No... But I can summon HerculesKabuterimon to my side if I need to do so." He answered back. "I don't think that any of our larger Digimon would be able to fit in this small space."

"Wormmon, stop wandering around so much." Erika called for her partner, as she came into sight, walking towards them.

"But it's fun!" Wormmon replied back. "I know that Tokyo is having a rough time, but I'm so happy being with you and the others, Erika!"

"You can't weasel out that easily." Erika stated, before she turned away, as she was smiling a little.

She then turned back, as her smile disappeared. "I want to focus on analysing the thesis that Suedou gave me. Take Wormmon and find my brother." Erika requested to everyone. "He's too distracting for this task."

"Alright, but we'll need to check for some cases. Hell, I think we're going to get our first real world ones, due to this little event." Richard stated with a dull huff, as he went into Hudie, as he opened up the desktop, as he checked the Hudie Bulletin Board, as he found no important requests this time. "Tch... Once again, we're without main quests..."

He then turned off the desktop, as he went back to where the group was.

"Hey, guys... Just checked, there aren't any requests-" Richard was about to say, before he then realised that everyone has left the area. "...Huh. That's strange, why did they leave without me?"

Richard then noticed that the TV was turned back on, as it was still on the news programme.

"There has been a terror attack in the Shinjuku district! Civilians are urged to evacuate from the area immediately if they are in vicinity of the district." The female newscaster announced, as the screen showed the Shinjuku District in a scene of destruction, with totalled cars, and people in critical condition from the attack, caused by some sort of humanoid devil Digimon running rampant, as there was someone beside the rampaging Digimon.

"Wait a minute..." Richard said, before he then got closer to the TV, as he took a closer look at the figure beside the Digimon, which was actually K laughing like a maniac. The sight of the maniacal impostor caused Richard's eyes to widen, as it clicked in his mind where the rest of the group went. "Oh, DAMNIT!"

Richard then went off sprinting out of the mall, as he ran all the way to Shinjuku District, where the group, minus Erika who must have returned to her room, were preparing to confront K.

"Keisuke... What the hell are you doing!?" Richard harshly whispered to K, trying to avoid catching K's attention. "You know that you can't do this alone. If we're going to take down K, then we're going to be doing that together!"

"We had to go, Richard..." Gus answered back. "This guy was running rampant, and Keisuke went after him the moment he saw the news."

"Damnit... Just at least wait for me..." Richard said. "Before you rush in and try to apprehend the bastard, check yourselves... Do you have your Digivices?"

Everyone on Richard's team produced their Digivices, even Elma with her empty one, as Adam the Impmon was still in the Sistermon Gym, being trained.

"Good... Then that means that we'll be able to summon our Digimon if things get hairy." Richard sighed with relief. "Let's bag ourselves one insane digital ghost."

"Hahaha! I love this!" K cackled to the skies, as the Digimon beside him, SkullSatamon, which was a dark devil Digimon which was made after a skeleton, as it had a winged black devil helmet on its head, shredded dark devil wings on its back, silver gloves on its hands, a belt around its skinless waist, dark bindings and white boots on its legs, and its chest had a dark spherical orb that was caged within its ribcage with a dagger shape mark in front of it. Its weapon was a long wooden sceptre of a demon's hand clutching a yellow spherical orb, was causing destruction, as it was firing off beams from its sceptre that blew up the cars it hit. "Wahahaha... Hahaha...!"

He then noticed the group, as he turned to Keisuke and Richard, the latter who was growling at him with barely contained rage. "Oh, you two! Check out this power!" K shouted to them. "Hahaha! Awesome, right!? Look what I can do!"

"You... you're sick in the head!" Antonio cried. "You're just causing destruction without any care of others!"

"That's the power of a hacker, but in the real world! Scary..." Wormmon quivered at the destruction he saw.

"No one will ever mess with me again! Well? How does it feel to be beaten by the ones you used to walk all over!?" K roared at the downed people. "Now my reality, the one you once denied, will destroy your reality! Have you seen anything better than this!? The power of K... in both worlds!"

"I won't let you do that!" Keisuke yelled with determination, as he whipped out his Digivice, summoning HerculesKabuterimon. "I won't let you do any more harm in this world!"

"Oh right! I forgot. I still owe you two for breaking out of my cage!" K said, pointing at them. "Why did you break out? I was about to come and set you free, wasn't I!?"

"BULLSHIT!" Richard cussed indignantly, pointing a accusing finger back. "Don't try to sell that horse-crap before us! I know that you intended to keep me locked in forever with the REAL Keisuke Amazama! Well, guess what, code-for-brains! I'm out, and I'm out with a fucking vengeance!"

"The real Keisuke Amazama? What do you mean, Richard?" Reimu asked.

"Oh! K's actually the one who stole Keisuke's avatar! He's actually-" Sanae perked up, and suddenly answered Reimu's question.

Richard walked up to K, as he ripped the mask off, revealing Keisuke's face on him. "Look closely, this is the asshole who is responsible for the shit that Keisuke went through." He stated, before he turned to K. "You think you're so fucking clever, playing Keisuke like a fiddle, and acting like you already won. Guess what, K. Keisuke works with us, and you fuck with him, we'll fuck you up."

"Ah, Richard. You never understood, never knew how I felt." K answered back with a mock disappointed tone, as he waggled his finger. "You're pathetic... Truly pathetic like the other me and the rest of your friends. Allow me to show you."

SkullSatamon then flew towards Richard, before it then swung the bottom of its staff into Richard's abdomen, as the force of the attack sent him flying onto a tree, as he hit it hard with a cry of pain, as he slid down the tree, slumping down when he landed on the ground, as everyone was shocked by the attack on Richard, as it was a attack of a Digimon on a tamer.

"Richard!" Keisuke cried.

"Aiieee! He actually hit Richard with his Digimon!" Wormmon shrieked in horror.

"Maybe this will help you understand?! How I feel!" K roared back at Richard. "You protect that failure of a 'Amazama', as if you think that there is any value to it. It's all pointless, because I will be 'Keisuke' from now on!"

"No! I won't let you take my identity for your selfish means!" Keisuke cried. "I won't let you hurt any of my friends anymore! HerculesKabuterimon, take down that Digimon!"

HerculeKabuterimon immediately obeyed his order, as he lunged at the demonic Digimon, as it raised its staff in a attempt to defend itself, as HerculeKabuterimon's swipes were actually causing some damage to it, as the staff was being forced back with each heavy strike, as the sound of wood splintering could be heard.

"Looks like you're determined to keep existing as 'me' then. Fine." K said. "Take it back by force, if you can-!"

Before K could finish his sentence, he was suddenly smacked aside by a very incensed Kuro, as K went flying through a shop's windows, as glass shattered, and K was smashed against the store wall hard enough to fracture a part of it, as the dust of drywall and concrete went flying, as several pieces of the wall dislodged itself, revealing a large hole.

When the group turned back, they saw that Richard was standing back up with his Digivice out in his right hand, as he was back up, with a bit of a pained expression on his face, and his legs were trembling from the pain that would have forced him down, or at least, that's what the others saw Richard as.

"Hurts like a bitch, doesn't it, K?" Richard sneered back with a low chuckle. "You think tamer abuse is a one-way street only you can take? Well, guess what? This guy makes it a two-way street! How do you like them apples!?"

Kuro then turned to the SkullSatamon, as K was still getting himself out of the wall he was smashed into, as the Digimon raised its sceptre, as its orb glowing a eerie purple, as a large ball of purple energy appeared on it, as it then fired it at Kuro. The BlackWarGreymon's response to the attack was to use his own segmented shield to block the attack, as shield and magic ball collided, as Kuro was knocked back a few feet.

"Touch my partner, will you!?" Kuro growled. "I'll show you what it means to mess with us! Black Tornado!"

He then utilised the attack to drill through SkullSatamon, as it was damaged severely by the attack, being forced to the ground kneeling.

"Now's your chance, HerculeKabuterimon!" Keisuke cried. "Use Giga Blaster!"

HerculeKabuterimon proceeded to mercilessly fry SkullSatamon with a close-range Giga Blaster, as the SkullSatamon screamed in pain in a low gravelly voice, before it then fell to the ground, as K limped out of the store, only to see that his Digimon was defeated.

"No no no... Impossible... I can't lose here..." K growled with his teeth gritted. "You can't possibly be able to defeat my own creations!"

Before he could say anything, everyone heard footsteps, as Ryuji strided in, as his expression seemed to be frozen in a emotionless mask, and his eyes looked completely dull and soulless. Keisuke and Wormmon were surprised that they have found Ryuji, as the others were confused as to how Ryuji suddenly appeared. Richard however, looked at Ryuji with a strained expression of horror.

"Ryuji... What the hell have you done...?" Richard muttered to himself, as he sensed the evil aura that was pulsating around Ryuji.

"Ryuji!" Wormmon cried. "We..."

"Wormmon, get back from him..." Richard stated with a snarl. "Ryuji... isn't himself right now."

Ryuji then walked up to K.

"So you must be K, the one who has been trying to lead Keisuke in circles.." Ryuji stated in a hostile tone. "I see that you have finally decided to initiate your plan, and try to take Keisuke's place in the real world."

"Hudie...! But why... Why must you always interfere with my plans!" K shouted back with rage. "Out of my way, Ryuji Mishima! This isn't your fight!"

"The only one disappearing... is you." Ryuji intoned, as he lifted his Digivice, which was emanating the same malicious aura he was. As a glitched data stream came out, his new Digimon was summoned, which was a pink alien-like humanoid with red mantis-like claws on its arms, long grey straight horns protruding out of its head, and a thin rat-like tail behind its back.

"What... What is that being!?" Elma exclaimed in fright of the Digimon's fearful appearance. "It looks like a true monster than like the Digimon I have seen before!"

"Ha ha, what? You plan to fight like that?" K chuckled, before he snapped his fingers, as SkullSatamon slowly rised back onto its feet.

"You going to bark all day, little doggie? Or are you going to bite?" Ryuji smirked evilly.

"You... I'LL SHOW YOU WHO THE REAL LITTLE DOGGIE IS!" K screamed with fury, as he ordered SkullSatamon forward to fight with a pointing gesture.

The unknown Digimon merely arched back its claw, as it then threw it forward, the claw extending at a alarming rate, until it pierced right through the SkullSatamon, stopping it in its tracks, as it convulsed violently from the attack.

"What... What is this Digimon!?" K cried in fear of what he was seeing.

"...Way to go. Take him, Arcadiamon." Ryuji ordered emotionlessly, as the now-named Arcadiamon immediately obeyed its order, as the SkullSatamon was suddenly converted into orbs of red light, that flew into Arcadiamon, as it then retracted its claw.

"What!? Absorbing a Digimon!? What is that thing!?" K cried. "No...! I won't be erased so easily!"

K then immediately ran, before Ryuji was about to chase him, as Keisuke immediately went in front of him to stop him.

"Ryuji... Stop... I don't know what's gotten into you, but you look like that you were going to kill that hacker with your own bare hands!" Keisuke exclaimed.

"Outta my way." Ryuji demanded from Keisuke, who refused to with a shake of his head. "Why'd you let him go?"

"Because I'll stop him myself. I need to see who he truly is. If there is a way to truly end this charade that I was put through, I am willing to let him go, to see what he tries next." Keisuke explained back.

"Fool. There's mercy, and then there's stupidity." Ryuji hissed back.

"...Like you're one to say that, Ryuji." Richard retorted back, as he walked up to Ryuji. "What I suspect that you have done is the uber-example of the latter."

Ryuji then turned to Richard, whose expression was serious and cold.

"Tell me, Ryuji. Where did you get Arcadiamon from? That Digimon was never supposed to exist in the first place." Richard stated with a even tone. "It is the bane of all digital life, Digimon, avatar, data and all. I definitely know that you did something to do this, didn't you?"

Ryuji was about to speak before Richard then continued. "Don't even bother. Just by looking at you, I know exactly where you have been." Richard continued with a far more hostile tone. "Tell me, did your little trip back to Under Zero got you these new things, hmm?"

Everyone gasped at Richard's proclamation, as Keisuke rushed towards Richard. "Ryuji would never go back to that place-" He was about to shout.

"Tell me, Keisuke. Have you wondered where Coredramon, his partner went?" Richard asked back with a stoic tone.

Keisuke immediately shut his mouth, as he didn't have an answer, to which Richard scoffed at. "Just as I thought." Richard stated, turning back to Ryuji. "Tell me, Ryuji... What did that damn thing promise you? Power to set things right?"

Ryuji didn't answer back, as Richard's expression twisted into one of anger.

"Oh, you're just a fucking example to us all, Ryuji." Richard sarcastically spat, with a flip of his arms. "First, your fucking obsession in saving your sister screws over Chitose's life, and then you give into your inner despair, just because you can't fucking bear the sorrow and guilt of what you have done. You're sad, Ryuji Mishima, truly sad, and that is the complete fucking truth, if your mind can comprehend what I have to say."

Richard then grabbed Ryuji's head, forcing him to look at him in the eyes. "Tell me, Ryuji, was it fucking worth it? To ruin so many innocent lives? You are a fucking insult to what we represent for Hudie! We're supposed to be saving the people of EDEN, not condemning them!" Richard roared at Ryuji. "Has your mind been fucking rotted ever since Under Zero, huh!? Chitose was actually being merciful when he said all of that in Under Zero! You're no leader, you're a fucking brat who closes his eyes and refuses to accept harsh reality, is that it!?"

Ryuji then punched at Richard, except this time he was prepared, as he dodged to the side to let the punch swing by harmlessly, before retaliating with a strong hay-maker hook to the face, which caused Ryuji to be knocked back, as he clutched his face, as it bled from the punch he took to the face.

"And's what fucking next on your list, Ryuji: Getting revenge for Chitose, by destroying every single hacker?" Richard mocked Ryuji, as he let his fist drop with Ryuji's blood drops on it. "You think that this is what Chitose wanted? You don't fucking deserve him anymore for taking the easy way out, you betraying piece of shit!"

Ryuji glared at Richard, before he walked away, as Richard was panting with rage, as he was trying to control it.

"Ryuji...!" Wormmon stated.

"Don't bother. That's not Ryuji, that's just his vengeful shadow of a self." Richard hissed back at the Digimon, before he turned away. "Come on, we'll head back to Hudie and determine our next course of action. Erika won't be happy to hear her big brother has lost his shit and balls."

They all returned to Hudie, and Keisuke and Richard entered Erika's room.

"Erika... We found Ryuji... He's..." Keisuke stated in a solemn tone.

Erika then turned around, as she had a depressed expression. "You don't have to say anything, you two. I saw and heard it through Wormmon." She stated in sadness. "Especially what happened to Ryuji. Richard... is everything you said mostly true."

"...I can't deny it. When I was near that core in Under Zero, I felt something very wrong. There was nothing but hate and destruction in that feeling." Richard said in a agitated tone. "And I felt the same with Ryuji. I don't think he cares about you anymore, Erika. He's just a puppet to his inner vices now."

"It's fine. I already knew that he wouldn't be the same after Under Zero. But for this to happen..." Erika answered back, as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "I ask from all of you... Please stop my brother... If he does his hacker hunt, then Hudie will lose its reputation and we'll never be able to be in EDEN anymore due to the hate we will get."

"I see... We'll do that, only in respect of the wishes of Ryuji... The one before everything went to hell..." Richard answered back, as they left her room.

Richard then received a message, as Keisuke went to the group, and talked with them for a while. He then opened it up, and read it.

' **Your sacrifice is prepared. Come to the DigiLab with your partner... if you are ready to bear upon what will come, consequence and benefit.** ' It read, before Richard immediately deleted it before anyone could have the chance to read it. Gus, however, heard the message chime, as he walked up to Richard.

"Richard, was that message you received?" Gus asked Richard curiously.

"Yeah. But it was one of the responses from the Digimon in the DigiFarms." Richard answered back with a smile. "They seemed happy that I answered their trivia question about Digimon correctly. But we're not supposed to be worrying about that. What were you people talking about in the short time I was checking the message I got?"

"We were talking about our next course of action." Gus responded to the question. "Since you're our leader outside here, and Keisuke as the current team leader, decided to let you decide for us."

"Chasing Ryuji is far too dangerous, considering what his Arcadiamon did to that Ultimate Digimon of K's, SkullSatamon. I'm not risking our Digimon against something who can absorb their data and permanently end them." Richard said, before he then suggested another idea. "We should spend our time training in the Sistermon Gym. Sun and Bolt may have attained their final forms for now, but they need more experience for the battles to come. And Aya, Ran, and Adam need some power to Digivolve to their strongest forms."

"I... I think that sounds reasonable for now." Gus agreed. "And what will you be doing?"

"I... I have some matters to deal with. It's inside of EDEN, so don't go around looking for me, unless it's something important." Richard said, as he donned his EDEN visor, and logged into EDEN.

* * *

 _In the DigiLab..._

Richard teleported into the large room, as there was a solemn and regretful expression on his face, as Mirei came to him.

"So you have seen my message then?" Mirei asked in a stoic tone. "I see that you have finally made up your decision."

"I have. Show me Sacrum now." Richard said, as he walked over to the DigiFarm.

He then entered into the DigiFarm, where he saw that Sacrum was training against a dummy, as he was a mirror of MetalGarurumon's Ice Wolf Claw, with the missile barrage destroying the dummy, as the metallic wolf cheered and whooped at its successful attack.

"Heh... He would have been a promising partner like Kuro... If only I could keep both..." Richard stated.

"So, are you prepared for Kuro to step into the realms of the Ultra-level Digimon? You would have been the first one to have created such a being in a... strange manner." Mirei asked Richard.

"Not yet... I need to talk to Kuro. He deserves to know, after I have told him nothing about this." Richard stated, as he closed the monitor to the DigiFarm, then pulling out his Digivice, with Kuro appearing in front of Richard.

"Ah, we're back in the DigiLab. Since I'm the only Digimon here, I'm going to be Digivolving, right?" Kuro asked. "But isn't my current form the final form I can attain? It sure feels like it..."

"No... There is a higher form that you can attain, and with how powerful you are now, it is very possible to directly Digivolve into this form." Richard said. "Even keep the form permanently without any risk of DeDigivolving due to lack of power."

"Really? That sounds quite interesting. So why aren't you doing it now...?" Kuro asked again, with a raised eyebrow "And what's with that look on your face? I rarely see you like this when I'm out here to see you."

"Kuro... Tell me... What would you sacrifice to attain power?" Richard questioned back in a solemn tone. "Would you sacrifice your empathy, or any of your feelings, or even the lives of others?"

"Richard... You're asking this question all the sudden out in the blue..." Kuro responded back. "I... If there is a way to be stronger, I'll see what I must do. If the cost is too great, then I won't take it, since the losses will include long-term consequences that could make one's life miserable."

"I guess my mindset rubbed off onto you, Kuro. Benefits of being a partner to you." Richard chuckled dryly, before his smile faded away. "But Kuro, what exactly is a cost 'too great' in your definition?"

Kuro remained silent, before he then closed his eyes in thought. "If you had to ask... I would sacrifice any amount of life that doesn't have a mind like us, or I'd sacrifice something that is important to me, but won't cause me problems in the long-term, as I told you I'm worried about before. It's what we have been doing, for me to obtain this form from my BlackAgumon form into this current BlackWarGreymon form. I rather put the data in those mindless beasts to better use by making me more powerful. But still... I don't know why are you asking this question all the sudden."

"...Kuro." Richard stated in a very serious tone. "If you had to sacrifice the life of a single Digimon who has a mind and soul like you, would you take it in order to obtain your true ultimate form? Would you consider it to be worth it?"

"Richard... I... Wait, you're telling that to Digivolve me, you'll have to sacrifice some actual living Digimon?" Kuro asked back with eyes open in shock, before he then looked away. "I... I'm not sure..."

"Mirei, show him Sacrum." Richard requested from Mirei with a turn of his head.

"As you wish." Mirei said with even lips, as she typed into her portable laptop, as the BlackMetalGarurumon inside the DigiFarm appeared, in front of them.

"Kuro, I want you to meet Sacrum... If you know your languages, you know that it's Latin for 'Sacrifice'." Richard answered back with a cold look in his eyes. "He... No, it will be the one that will become the sacrifice for you to attain your true form."

"Richard... You're actually serious about this?" Kuro asked back, as he looked at Richard, who shook his head slowly.

"I wished that there was better ways to do this, Kuro..." Richard responded back with regret in his voice. "But... This is the only way, Kuro... I'm sorry... You must really hate me now."

Kuro remained silent. "I know the kind of person that you are Kuro. You aren't a naive idealist, as you know that the wild Digimon are merely beasts that are a threat to everyone, and must be eradicated for the good of everyone." Richard continued. "I knew that when you would have heard and seen the truth, you would be in conflict about all of this... In truth, so am I... I wanted to be the partner that you deserved, someone that you could trust in and rely on. I never truly intended to hide this from you, but it was the fear that you would hate me if you ever heard that I would have willingly allowed this to happen."

He then sat down on the ground. "Kuro, if you have anything to say, whether it would be cursing my name or showing your pain from the betrayal you mus feel from your words, I am willing to take it all, because your mentality and trust is worth more to me than power and the lives of others. You don't have to agree... You could tell me you outright refuse to do this, and I won't ever ask about this again. You'll remain as you are, and Sacrum won't have to be a sacrificial lamb, and allowed to live his digital life in peace and comfort in the DigiFarm."

He then walked up to Kuro. "But I did this because I'm afraid what would have happened. I knew that there would be a time where we would be eventually outclassed by stronger Digimon, like Arcadiamon. When he truly evolves, not even you would stand a chance against him in the form you're currently in right now. So I planned this a long while ago, ever since the time in the Dreamin' hideout, so that you would be able to get stronger."

Richard then leaned forward as he hugged Kuro on the waist with a expression of regret, as he felt great sadness at Kuro's current state. "So please... Understand that I did this for your sake, so that you won't be killed by anyone else, because you're my partner, and no-one could ever replace you..." Richard answered back. "Please, just tell me what you want to do, whether you agree or disagree, it doesn't matter, because I trust that you are doing what you think is right... Your silence hurts me inside more than you think, so please... Please don't resent me... Just please... believe in what I have said...

Kuro remained silent for a little longer, before he then sighed in a long and deep manner, as he lowered his head slightly, as he placed a hand on Richard's back.

"Richard... I made my decision..." Kuro gave his answer in a melancholic tone. "I... I will do it."

"Kuro... Are... Are you sure?" Richard asked back. "Once you go through with this... There's no going back. Even if you DeDigivolve, Sacrum will still be completely absorbed into you, gone forever... You'll become a person who has taken a life for the sake of power... Just... just... like... me..."

Richard then let out a few quiet whimpers, as Kuro looked at Sacrum, who was looking at them with curious eyes, as he had no clue what was happening.

"So... That black-version of MetalGarurumon would fuse with me, with me as the only personality that the combined body will have?" Kuro asked. "...If that's what I have to do... Then I'll go through hell with you, Richard. We promised that we would survive together through all of this, even with everything that has happened, so I'll do anything to stay by your side, because I know that you would do the same for me, and that you care more than you should have about all of this. You really are worrying about me and the others, even at a time like this, eh?"

Richard gasped slightly at Kuro's last statement, before he the smiled. "I... guess so." Richard stated back, as he separated from his hug. "Kuro... thank you... And I'm sorry for ever having to do this to you..."

Richard then walked up to the DigiBank counter, as he prepared the Digivolution, as he was now a keystroke away from initiating it, as Richard suddenly stopped, which Kuro noticed.

"Richard...?" Kuro asked. "What's wrong? Are you... Are you having second thoughts about this?"

"Of.. Of course not... I'm just trying to keep myself calm..." Richard answered back, as his voice was trembling, betraying his true emotions and inner turmoil in him, as his hand and arm was trembling.

Mirei observed Richard with a critical eye, as she said nothing. Kuro, however, did. "Richard, there's no need to worry about me! I've made my decision! I promise that I'll be fine with this! I trust all you have said. So there is nothing to worry about. This is just another Digivolution for me, right?"

"Yes... Another... Digi... Volu...tion..." Richard answered back slowly, as his voice was cracked with emotion, as his arm was shaking erratically, before he then fell to his knees. "I... can't... do it..."

"...Richard?" Kuro asked. "Are you-"

"I CAN'T DO IT!" Richard cried with guilt and anger, as he clutched his face, as tears leaked down his cheek, as he sobbed. "I... Even though I never cared for Sacrum, I gave him a life that he deserved to live out, damnit! He was supposed to be a actual being frolicking in the fields of the Digital World's fields, not a experimental sacrifice! I gave him life and sentience, as well as growth and development, and for all of it to be wasted in this...!? I... I...!"

(For some emotional effect, should you deem it a good moment for it, the background music at this moment would be Digimon Adventure Tri's Avant Reboot. _)_

"...I don't hate you for this, Richard..." Sacrum finally spoke to Richard in a low voice. "...Go on, do what you must."

"...You... But... I..." Richard stuttered, as he turned to Sacrum with a shocked expression. "How did you...?"

"I've known the cruel truth all along, Richard... Mirei told me from the beginning." Sacrum explained. "Although she promised to never tell anyone, she never said that she wouldn't inform me of my fate. She told me that I would become one with Kuro, your partner. And after seeing all of the bond that was formed between you. I felt a little envy at it, but what I felt more was a sense of pride and satisfaction."

"...Huh?" Richard asked back, as Sacrum tilted his head with a smile.

"Come on, from what you have been doing with your friend, Keisuke, you're already making the worlds a better place with your actions. Just by being there, you've saved countless lives, and let them have freedom over their own fates, to live their full lives." Sacrum chuckled. "I count as one, because if I have to be a sacrifice, so that you and Kuro will have more power to save even more lives, then I willingly accept my fate, as I would have at least contributed to the lives that would be saved."

"I..." Richard continued.

"Richard, I don't want to hear you say all that." Sacrum scolded Richard. "All I want from you is that you promise me that you will use my power to further your cause of bring freedom and peace to all the lives you come across. As long as the vow holds, then I will fade away with a smile on my face."

Richard then remained silent, before he raised his head, as there was a weak smile on it. "I... I promise... No... I swear it to the heavens!" Richard declared. "I promise that Kuro will never stray from the path that we have stepped upon for the sake of everyone, and he will do the same for me...! You can rest easy,Sacrum... Because we're going to bring a new world order where Digimon won't have to suffer..."

"That's all I need to hear..." Sacrum smiled. "Now then... Finish what you have started. I won't hold it against you."

Richard then nodded, as he slowly got up, before he entered the final key-stroke, as it resounded in the silence of the DigiLab.

Soon, both of the Digimon glowed with a golden light, as their features could be seen, as they floated up into the air, as Sacrum's light was getting brighter and brighter.

"I guess this is where it ends for me, then..." Sacrum said, before he looked at Richard, as his body was beginning to fade into golden particles, starting from the legs. "Richard, before I go... I wanted to tell you something... Even though you never came to visit me, nor talk to me, you gave me friends that I could enjoy in my short life, and you always ensured that I would be able to live a satisfied life until then, even though you didn't need to. For that, Richard Liu... I thank you for your acts of kindness that made me who I am. Always remember this..."

Soon enough, only Sacrum's head was left, as he gave off a smile. "There's always good within people's hearts, even when it is engulfed by the deepest of darkness."

Sacrum's head faded away, as all that was left was the golden particles that were the Digimon's data, before they suddenly rushed into Kuro's body, as Kuro began to glow brightly, shining streams of light were being shot out of him, after which the light suddenly coalesced into a spherical ball of light.

When it slowly shrunk, it revealed Kuro's new form, which was black variant of the Omnimon Form of Nokia's Agumon and Gabumon, with everything completely coloured obsidian-cape, from the armour parts, to the cape, to his weapons.

Kuro then awakened in his new form, as he looked down at Richard.

"Richard... I... I can still feel Sacrum in me... Even though it's not his soul or mind, but I can feel his memories and emotions flowing through me..." Kuro said. "I don't think he's as gone as you think he is. I guess some things still linger on even when they disappear."

"Yeah... I guess... they do." Richard said with a forced smile. "Come on, we need to show the others your new form... Omnimon Zwart..."

He then recalled Kuro into the Digivice, before he then staggered slowly to the side of the room, as Mirei walked to him.

"Richard... You're..." Mirei was about to say, before he then passed by her, as his head was lowered.

"I... need some time to think about this... I... I have done something that I could never take back, or ever regret without pain..." Richard said, before he then sat himself down on the opposite end of the lab, with his face in between his legs.

He then silently wept for Sacrum's last words, and his noble sacrifice, as he slowly fell into unconsciousness, where he dreamed about the past.

* * *

 _In Richard's past..._

Richard was standing amongst the ruins of a city, as there were various human corpses everywhere, as most of them were from the army, as they died in various manners, some burnt so deeply that their bodies and faces were scarred with third-degree burns, some cut up into pieces, as the lucky ones were merely bisected horizontally by the waist, and some which drowned from some sort of liquid, as their faces were purple from lack of oxygen to their body, and some which were pulverised, as they were stuck between broken earth shards, or even merely blood splatters on the ground. Wreckages of tanks, planes, and other military vehicles littered the area, as they were so severely damaged that they couldn't even be scrapped for materials due to the extensive damage.

And laying in the midst of it, was Richard, who was sitting on top of a wrecked aircraft carrier, whose eyes looked completely without hope, as he looked at himself and his hands, both of which are drenched anc coated in so much blood, as he looked around at the massive gathering of corpses and destruction before him.

"I guess this has been... like, the 43th time I have done this...?" Richard asked himself in a emotionless tone, before he then used water magic to cleanse the blood off him, as he jumped off the aircraft carrier, landing on the fractured ground.

Richard then looked around, before he let out a quiet sob. "I hate this... Every time... I fail... Every time... They have to die... Every time... my friends die... Every time... Gensokyo is destroyed... Every time, it ends the same way... Every time... I'm laughed at by fate... Every time, 'they' are always there..."

He then looked up, at the sunset that was before him, as the bloody red of it, matched the seas of blood he had created from his slaughter.

"Ah.. the sunset... So beautiful... But even better... in Gensokyo... I have to find a way to end this... This... horrid... never-ending... nightmare..." Richard groaned.

He then walked slowly, as he left the scene of death and carnage behind him, travelling to wherever he would come to pass along his lone voyage...


	23. Chapter 22: Hudie's Destruction

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 22: Hudie's Destruction and Yuuko

* * *

 _In the DigiLab..._

Richard slowly woke up, as he saw that Keisuke was in front of him, with one of Keisuke's hands on his shoulder.

"Richard... You're awake." Keisuke asked back in a concerned tone. "What happened to you? Have everything been tiring you out?"

"I..." Richard was about to reply, as he remembered the moments before he sobbed himself to sleep, then closing his mouth and averting his eyes from Keisuke. "Well, you could say that... But I've done what I have done. Kuro got a new form."

Richard then got up, preparing to walk to the server transfer pad, before Keisuke noticed that Richard's eyes were a little red from the crying he did before, as he tried to get Richard to turn around. "Richard, wait, there's something on you face." Keisuke told Richard.

Richard then turned around, as he slid his fingers down his cheek, as the tear streaks still persisted on his cheeks, as he shook his head gently. "It's just some tears. Must be when I yawned a little a bit before I went to sleep, or whatever dream I had. It's nothing, Keisuke, I'm okay."

He then walked to Keisuke, walking to him instead. "By the way, why did you come?" Richard asked. "I was just taking a little bit of a rest, it's nothing to get worried about. But still, I appreciate the concern. There must be something happening now right?"

"Yeah. Fei's got a plan set in capturing Ryuji with our help. She's in Hudie." Keisuke nodded. "I tried to contact you, but you weren't responding to any calls or requests I was making, so I went to the DigiLab myself, and that's how we got here right now..."

"I see. Sorry for letting you wait." Richard answered back stoically, before he then walked to the server transfer pad. "Then it would be stupid to let them wait any longer."

Richard then teleported out of the DigiLab, as he noticed that Mirei was looking at him.

"Mirei? Did you know what happened to Richard? I don't think he was trying to lie about something. He must be really sad about something." Keisuke said. "The red eyes tells it all to me. Did he remember something that really tugged at his heart."

"...It's not the past. It was the present." Mirei denied, shaking her head. "And it regarded the Digivolution that he did. Richard... He sacrificed a BlackMetalGarurumon to transform his partner into a Ultra-Level Digimon, Omnimon Zwart."

Keisuke was shocked at what he was hearing, as Mirei knew what Keisuke was about to ask, as she adjusted her glasses with a sigh.

"Before you ask any questions, Richard did this to ensure that his partner Kuro would be stronger, but not in the same way that you might have seen Arcadiamon did. What he did was a act of mercy compared to what the accursed Digimon did." Mirei stated. "And he didn't do this sacrifice without any reluctance and guilt, as he questioned what he was doing to Kuro, who accepted this procedure on his behalf. And then it took the very Digimon he sought to sacrifice to tell him that it was willing to be their power, in order for him to initiate the Digivolution. After that, Kuro became the Ultra Digimon that his partner sought him to be, and Richard then fell into great sorrow, as he felt like that he needed time to restore his own mind, after he sacrificed a innocent life that he manipulated so badly, yet it still forgave him to its last moments. This kind of thing would cause a human's soul to be shaken with guilt and regret. That's why he was in the current state he was in."

Keisuke then remained silent, as he felt a twinge of pity for Richard, who was forced to make the sacrifice, even though he despised it every moment.

"So, as someone who has observed humans, I ask that you do not speak of this to anyone. Only you deserve to know this, as you are the one whose fate he has tangled upon." Mirei requested from Keisuke. "His friends do not need to know of this, as it was because of that one reason, which made him come alone when I told him that preparations were ready."

"I... I understand." Keisuke answered back, as he left the DigiLab.

* * *

 _In the real world..._

Richard then logged out, as he saw Fei and Makiko Date, as the latter, being the policewoman who is under Matayoshi's leadership, was shaking Keisuke quite hard, as her expression was quite desperate.

"I heard some bad rumours about him!" Date cried. "About him hunting all the hackers in EDEN! So I'm here to ask him for myself! Tell me where he is, or you're getting arrested!"

"Calm down!" Richard cried, as it gathered the attention of both females. "If you're talking about Ryuji, we're all aware about what has been happening!"

"You?" Date asked, as she raised a finger. "You're the one who helped me and Matayoshi before. Are you responsible for this as well, with your leader!?"

"Absolutely not. On the contrary, we've been trying to stop him as well." Richard answered back with a shake of his head "You'd be surprised that we've been asking for Fei's help. She's over there by the way."

"Don't you have better things to do than harassing people?" Fei asked Date with a unamused tone. "Tokyo is falling apart around us. Maybe you came to the wrong address."

"I don't need smart talk from you! I know how to do my job!" Date roared back, stomping towards Fei with a angered expression.

"Quiet in the shop, you old frumps." Erika coldly told them both, as it got their attention on her.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN 'OLD FRUMP'!?" Fei and Date simultaneous shouted back in outrage to her.

Soon Erika came into sight of both of them, as she was clutching a wriggling Wormmon in her hands.

"It wasn't me! Erika said it...!" Wormmon tried to plead.

"Who are you...? Hanging on to that adorable little guy." Date asked with amazed eyes, before she then rushed to touch Wormmon while petting him. "Where'd you buy that stuffed animal! You've just got to tell me!"

"Can you just get to the point already!? I've got other things to do!" Fei shouted at them impatiently. "This is Ryuji's little sister."

"Ryuji's... little sister?" Date repeated to herself.

Richard then got up, as he walked to in front of Fei. "Long time no see, Kage." Fei said back. "It seems that you are trying to stop your leader from doing the hacker purge as well."

Richard merely nodded with a quiet 'Hn.'.

"We haven't had a chance to talk yet, but you heard about what's going on from Mr. Spectre." Fei told Erika. "We need your help in grabbing Ryuji."

"I know. Count me in." Erika replied back. "We can't just give up on Ryuji. I know that we can help him get back to what he used to be.

"Good. I appreciate you getting right to the point." Fei nodded back.

"Wait a second now... So you're all here to try and stop Ryuji!?" Date asked back in surprise. "In that case, you can add me! Matayoshi told me to help him if he ever needed it! If he has lost his way, it's my job to help out!"

"I'm afraid that this matter should be left between hackers, Date." Richard answered back in a sincere tone. "We got him into this, and it'll be us to bring him out. Besides, I doubt that Ryuji is in a state where he'll even be affected by your beatings. You'll end up being killed by whatever beast Ryuji has been working with."

"Actually, as long as she promises not to slow us down, I'll bite my tongue on the matter. Normally, I don't work with the police, but we're running out of them, and you insisted on helping." Fei interjected.

"Who's gonna slow you down!? I'm a decorated police officer! Now tell me the plan! Then we can talk!" Date retorted back, offended by the comments directed to her.

"Fine. The basic plan is to capture Ryuji in the real world. To do that, we need to first grab a certain person in EDEN." Fei explained the plan clearly to everyone. "Sis here is going to go with me in EDEN, and while I hold Ryuji back, she'll calculate Ryuji's login location. And them when we tell you it..."

"All of us go and pick Ryuji up!" Date interrupted with a enthusiastic tone. "Got it! Not a bad plan! Leave it to me!"

"We've only got one chance, so you can't miss it on grabbing Ryuji." Fei warned Date.

"And we'll ensure that one chance doesn't go to waste." Gus nodded. "We'll stop Ryuji by all means necessary, even if it means having to bring him down to be restrained in a weakened state."

"Okay! Let's get started! Hey, you! Ryuji's friends are my friends!" I'll take good care of all of you, so come with me!" Date continued, as she gestured from Richard's group and Keisuke to go with her.

"Thank you... um... Ms Date?" Elma shyly replied back.

"No problem, you cute little girl! I'll smash anyone who tries to mess with you!" Date replied back with a wide grin.

Soon, the group left Hudie, as they made their way to the Ueno museum entrance, as they waited there, before Date pulled out her phone, to contact Fei and Erika.

'We're in position. We can start anytime." Date told them.

The duo talked to Date through the phone, as she nodded a few times, before going into silence, before the conversation continued again, as Date hung up her phone, while Richard's and Keisuke's Digivices buzzed with a message from Wormmon.

' **We found Ryuji's location! But hurry! Fei can't hold him back, and his Digimon looks even bigger and scarier than before!** ' The message read, as they received the location.

"He's close! We got to move! Follow me!" Date ordered everyone, as they did so.

They soon made their way to the front of a building, where they saw that there was a hacker near one of the EDEN booths.

"You there! Don't move!" Date barked out to the hacker. "It's the police!"

When the hacker turned around, it wasn't Ryuji that they found, but a ZAXON hacker who seemed to be looking ill.

"...What!?" Keisuke asked. "It's not... Ryuji...?"

The hacker then let out a sick cry, before he then fell on the ground unconscious, as Date ran up to him.

"Hey! Are you okay!?" Date asked the hacker, who was already unconscious. "Damnit! What happened!? I thought Ryuji was supposed to be here!"

Richard then remained silent, as he pondered about what was actually happening. ' _Wait... So if Erika is using Ryuji's login details, then there can't be any error in determining his login location, no matter where he may be... That is... unless...!_ ' Richard thought, as his face paled.

He then grabbed Keisuke and Date by the collar, with the latter being annoyed by the action. "Hey, what do you think you're doing-" Date was about to say.

"There's no time... We have to run back to Hudie... NOW!" Richard cried. "Ask Erika and Fei, is the Ryuji that they have been stalling the real one? Is it!?"

Date immediately called back the duo in EDEN, as she then shouted into the phone. "Hey! It wasn't Ryuji at the coordinates you sent! What does this mean!?"

Date listened for a while, before she then let out a growl. "...Damnit... It looks like it wasn't Ryuji in EDEN either. So then where's the real Ryuji?" She asked.

"Take a guess... If you wanted to halt a hacker team, and you had knowledge of where they worked from... What would you do?" Richard questioned back.

Keisuke then paled as he realised what Richard figured out, as he immediately sprinted back to Hudie.

"Hey! Keisuke, wait for us! You can't go alone!" Richard yelled, as he chased after Keisuke, while the others did the same.

As soon as they came in view of the mall where the Hudie cafe is, they saw that the wall of Hudie immediately burst in a large explosion of dust and debris, as the crowd were shocked by the sudden attack, as everyone were forced to run away, and cover their eyes from the stinging dust cloud.

Keisuke and Richard managed to get there first, as they shielded their face from the resulting dust cloud, before they saw that the entire Hudie cafe was completely destroyed.

"No..." Keisuke mouthed in despair at the destruction of their hideout.

"ERIKA!" Richard cried, as he prepared to run into the ruins of the internet cafe to try and find her amongst the rubble.

Before he could do that, loud and heavy footsteps could be heard, as a figure as tall as a two-storey building moved out of the massive hole in the building, before it was revealed to be Arcadiamon in a entirely different form, as its body was green with clawed feet and hands with red nails, as its body took a more muscular and humanoid shape, as its head was covered in a silver helmet on top of its head, as well as having green bony wings that were covered with brown feathers.

Everyone arrived at that time, as they saw Arcadiamon's new form, as well as Ryuji standing on its shoulder, looking at the group with emotionless eyes. The cursed Digimon then roared, before it beat its wings and flew into the skies.

Richard then returned to what he was doing, as he immediately used his bare hands to shuffle through the rubble, moving it around, before he summoned Kuro in his new form, who immediately helped by using the flat-ends of his swords to flick the rubble far away.

"Richard... Is that... Kuro?" Sanae asked Richard about Kuro's new form.

"Not the time to be asking that!" Richard shouted back, as he noticed the group were still standing away from the ruins of the internet cafe. "What are you waiting for!? A invitation!? Help me search this rubble for Erika and Fei! I know they're here somewhere!"

Everyone immediately snapped out of their awe and shock from everything that just happened, as they summoned their respective Digimon, as they contributed in helping Richard clear the rubble, before he then managed to brush his hand against something warm and soft, as he looked down, and noticed that it was Erika's cheek.

"Kuro! Over here! I think I found one!" Richard cried, as the Omnimon Zwart answered to his tamer's command, as he immediately pushed away the slabs of debris that was covering Erika's body, as she was relatively unharmed, save for some bruises on her head, which explained how she was completely unconscious due to a concussion from being struck by the debris.

Richard then sighed in relief. "That's good.. It's only a hit on the head. She'll be able to work it off, even in her weakened state." He said to himself, as he dragged her out of the uneven terrain, placing her on the footpath. "I'm glad to see that she's relatively unscathed."

"Richard! Everyone! I think I found Fei here!" Sun cried, as he waved his hand to get any other Digimon over. Richard also hurried over, as he saw that Fei was buried under debris, as some blood leaked from her fore-head, due to the sharper of debris cutting into her skin, and her right arm was being stuck between two heavy slabs of metal scaffolding, as there was also a stream of blood leaking from her mouth corner, as she was in a far worse state than Erika.

"Fuck! Fei's been hurt badly!" Richard shouted, before he then looked around, as Aya and Sun were still beside him. "Alright, I want you two to do as I say. On the count of three, I want you lift the metal bars that have been pinning her arm down, and hold it up, while I slowly get her out. Try to keep it up until I say to let go."

Both Digimon nodded, as Richard then turned his attention to Fei. "Alright... One... Two..." Richard stated, before he placed his hands under Fei's back, to lift her up. "Three!"

On the signal, both of the Digimon lifted the metal scaffolding that was trapping her arm, as Richard lifted Fei up to his waist, as he slowly walked to the sidewalk, before placing her beside Erika, as Keisuke looked at Fei, before then grimacing at her sorry state.

"I can't believe this... Ryuji had us outsmarted there, and I never even tried to stop it... Damn it all..." Richard cursed. "Of course he would know about the hideout, and did this to try and hinder our efforts. But even so... this... this is just too much, for fucking sake!"

Richard then pounded his fist against one of the broken walls, which creaked and swayed, although it didn't fall.

"...There's no point in staying here." Richard stated. "We need to take these two to Central Hospital. Especially Fei. I'll carry her, since she has to be held carefully in her injured state. You take Erika, Keisuke, and be careful while you walk."

"Alright, I will." Keisuke nodded, as he picked up Erika, while Richard lifted Fei back up in his arms, as they started their slow journey to Central Hospital on foot, as the others kept a eye on any dangers they might meet on the way.

* * *

 _In Central Hospital, after some time has passed since Hudie's destruction._

Everyone was sitting in the hospital lounge room, as Keisuke and Richard were standing beside the door of the clinic where Fei was being treated for her wounds. After a while, she came out, as her head was bandaged to cover her head wound, and her right arm was in a sling. She then glared at Richard and Keisuke.

"Well? Now you've seen me at my most pathetic of times." Fei intoned.

"I'm sorry... We should have thought this through." Keisuke apologised. "Because of Ryuji's counter-tactic, you..."

"What happened to Ryuji's sister?" Fei asked them before Keisuke could finish.

"She's fine. Was just knocked out from a hit to the head. Much better compared to you." Richard stated back. "When the internet cafe was ruined, she was lucky not to be hit in too many places. But she's still inside the special treatment room."

"She's in there being treated? But I thought that she wasn't injured..." Fei replied back with a curious look in her eyes.

"It's... a complicated situation." Keisuke told Fei. "She's been struck with a illness that seems to be related to digital technology."

"...I see. Hudie has been destroyed, so now Ryuji's job and purpose has been gone." Fei responded back, as she looked away from the two of them "This is my fault... I went crazy when he said Yuugo's name like that, and I attacked without even listening. Then his Digimon suddenly started to Digivolve, and that's all I could remember. What I did was unforgivable. I'm so ashamed, so much that I'll never be able to look Yuugo in the eyes again."

"Excuse me... I've come to pay a visit." A young female voice sounded behind the duo, as they turned around, as Keisuke gasped at who the figure was.

Standing behind them was a a woman with shoulder-length black hair, black eyes, and a small chest. Her hair is cut in a way that was symmetrical with inclines. She wears a black and white dress with long sleeves, a gray zipper in the collarbone and a white ruff on the neck, with a pattern at the dress's bottom part, where the transition from white to back resembles two staircases on the front and two in the back. She also wears black goggles with gray lens and white straps with a black line in the middle on her left arm, a black pantyhose, and gray shoes.

"Yu-Yuuko? What are you doing here?" Keisuke asked the newcomer.

"Yuu!" Fei cried.

"I hope you don't mind me coming by with this face, Fei..." Yuuko said to Fei, before turning to Richard. "So you're Keisuke's valued teammate, solving cases with him. It is a pleasure to meet you, Richard Lin."

"The pleasure is all mine, Yuuko Kamishiro. Although you never did answer my friend's question."

"Ah yes, I have come to tell you something you must hear. Ryuji Mishima's rampage was my fault, for being unable to stop Rie Kishibe's plan in Under Zero." Yuuko said with a regretful tone. "...I apologise on behalf of ZAXON."

"ZAXON? But isn't only your brother a member?" Keisuke asked back.

"Oh, sorry. I guess you didn't realise it. Actually, the current Yuugo, that's me." Yuuko explained. "To protect Kamishiro from forces both inside and outside, I use one face for people on the inside and one for hackers on the outside. Thank you for the help with the matter in Avalon Server."

"...You mean we 'dealt with' Rie?" Richard asked back, before he them shook his head. "There's no need for thanks, she deserved what she got. Shame she just refused to die."

"And on another matter, I know about the treatment that Erika must take, in order to preserve her already fragile heath." Yuuko answered back. "You need not worry, for I've made arrangements to ensure that her therapy is continued."

Richard and Keisuke gasped in surprise. "R-Really? I... I have no words to describe the relief and joy I felt when hearing that, Yuuko!" Keisuke smiled brightly.

"It was the only thing I could do to apologise for everything that she, Ryuji and you went through." Yuuko humbly replied back. "The way Rie used her life to force Ryuji to do her dirty work is unforgivable. So, as a representative of Kamishiro, once agian, I offer my humblest apologies for failing to be aware of her unethical actions."

"It's fine. You don't have to apologise any more, Yuuko." Richard answered back. "You've done more than enough to make things right."

"Kishibe used the Yuugo avatar so she could even use Yuuko's actions to make herself look good!" Fei hissed, as she clenched her only good hand into a fist. "Grr... It makes me furious to even think about! If I see her again, I'll tear her apart with my bare hands, when my other arm has recovered!"

Richard nodded, as his rage was reignited at the memory of what she did to Elma, only that it was small enough for him to control without much difficulty as he let out a quiet growl in agreement.

"Kamishio and EDEN... They are created by my father." Yuuko continued. "For me, EDEN is a place of memories. Memories of my brother before he fell victim to that disease with no cure, and of my dead father... It is my duty to protect that place. And even though I was being manipulated as you say, you are also my valued companions, now that I've built up a relationship with you two as Yuugo... Will you leave the matter of Rie Kishibe to me?"

"By all means. We're more worried about Ryuji and our other team members now." Richard answered back. "Vengeance would have to take a rain-check until we bring our leader back to his senses."

"Thank you." Yuuko smiled. "When this is all over, let's go out for rice omelets again. You can come as well, Richard."

Richard and Keisuke dry-gagged at the request, as Yuuko walked away from them, before they then walked to Erika's ward, as they found Wormmon on one of the chairs, watching a resting Erika.

"Erika... She still hasn't woken up." Wormmon said in a sad tone. "I guess it was partly because she hadn't had her treatment for a while, but I bet she suffered a big shock because of what Ryuji did."

"...Yeah..." Richard said. "Good thing that we managed to get someone else to pay for her treatment. This time, it isn't some back-stabbing bitch."

"Really!?" Wormmon asked. "That's brilliant! But still... What are we going to do?"

"Simple, we need a desktop that we can use to enter EDEN, and check the Hudie site with." Richard answered back. "Two in fact, since Keisuke and I are the only ones that have access to a EDEN visor, and the Hudie code USB."

"And then we can look for Ryuji again." Wormmon continued the line of thought. "The hospital room has good net access, so it should be fine for the time being, right? Could you buy them? I'll keep an eye on Erika."

 _After some uneventful shopping in the Nakano Shopping District..._

Keisuke and Richard soon returned, as they were each carrying their typical desktop package, complete with hard-drive, monitor, mouse, keyboard and cables to connect the former two together. Richard then placed his on a table on the opposite end of the room, as Keisuke placed his own desktop on a table near Erika's bed.

"Hoo... That was one hell of a expensive payment." Richard sighed. "Took us almost all of our earning from the cases we solved to pay for it, but it's worth more than that in the end. Now, we can log in to EDEN, and check the place in relative privacy and safety."

Erika then woke up, as he noticed Richard and Keisuke setting up their monitors, the latter being the first to notice Erika's awakening.

"Erika... You're awake. How do you feel?" Keisuke asked in a caring tone.

"...Where am I? Where's Ryuji?" She asked softly.

Richard heard them talk, as he stopped setting up, sighing deeply, and then walking over to Erika. He then began to tell what he and Keisuke witnessed.

"Oh... So Fei saved me, and you all saved both of us from under the rubble." Erika said. "And then you say that someone has decided to fund my treatment for me without any conditions."

"Yeah, that's all we have for now." Keisuke nodded. "We were just setting up our desktops, so that we can enter the Hudie site, and log into EDEN from here. We'll find Ryuji and put a stop to this, I promise."

"But I can't just sit here quietly and wait. There's not much time left for Ryuji..." Erika said back. "When I saw him in the store, I could tell that Ryuji was being affected by that Digimon. It's probably the same reason why it suddenly Digivolved. If this goes on much longer, I don't think he'll ever come back. I can just feel it somehow."

"Then the only choice we can do, is to bring back the very same thing that drove Ryuji mad, right Erika?" Richard asked. "Chitose."

"Yes, that's the only chance." Erika agreed. "Suedou said that there's a clue in finding the cure for EDEN Syndrome in his thesis. If I can decode it, then I'll be sure to find a way to wake Chitose up from the illness."

"Let me just finish up." Richard said, lifting a finger, before heading back to his personal desktop, as he connected the last few cables, as the monitor flicked on with the typical start-up screen. "There we go, all brand new and perfect."

Richard then opened up the Hudie website, after plugging the Hudie USB in, as he opened up the Bulletin Board, as he looked through it.

"Nothing good, nothing good... Boring repetitive crap... Requests for hacker defeat-" Richard muttered before he noticed a important request from someone they know. "Ah!"

' **I'm the hacker from Roppongi. Remember? I sorta need your help again. I'll be waiting near the arcade at Akihabara.** ' The request said, as it was from Arata Sanada.

"Oi, Keisuke, Erika! If you have been wondering where Arata has been all the sudden." Richard said. "I think that the events in the power plant must have made him a wanted guy! He looks like he needs our help in dealing with some matters. You in, or not? I like to see what got him into the mess."

"I'll come. What about your friends?" Keisuke asked back.

"What do you think?" Richard questioned back with a bit of sarcasm, raising his hands dramatically. "Of course they are. We can't afford to be separate, now that we're not safe in the real world either. Remember, arcade at Akihabara. I'll go first and have something to say with him."

Richard then left the room, as Keisuke then turned to Erika, before he then nodded, and left himself.


	24. Chapter 23: The True K

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 23: The True K

* * *

 _In the Akihabara district in the real world..._

Richard and Keisuke arrived at the front of the arcade, where Arata specified that they will meet them. Keisuke then looked around, as he tried to look for their acquaintance.

"That's strange... I thought that Arata would meet us here..." Keisuke muttered to himself, before turning to Richard. "Are you sure that this is really the place where we are supposed to be?"

"Mostly so. Remember, he's wanted for some reason, and had to lay low." Richard answered back with a slight nod. "He should notice that we arrived just about now-"

"Hey, over here." Arata's voice came from a alley, as everyone turned to him, as his face and body was hidden in the shadows of it. "Don't draw attention to yourselves, just calmly and naturally walk into the alley."

"See, point made." Richard shrugged, as he walked in with the rest of the group, and crossed his arms. "So, Arata, how's life treating you? You had to lay low after the Roppongi incident?"

"More or less. I'm sorry for the specific choice of location, but I can't really be seen in the public right now." Arata confirmed the fact, before he noticed the new additions to Richard's team. "It seems that you have found more people. Are they your friends?"

"Verily so. But we aren't here to discuss such matters." Richard stated back with a shake of his head. "You can count on us. We have nothing to gain from selling out the former leader of Jude. You're not of much concern, since you haven't done anything stupid."

"Me too. We won't expose you, Arata, because we have come to only help you, nothing more." Keisuke added.

'Thanks. A lot has happened now. There aren't many people I can turn to for help right now." Arata smiled. "I actually want you to go to Ueno with me. I need to keep a low profile, and a friend from Jude said he'd let me hide at his place. But I can't get in contact with him, and I don't know why. That's why I sent the request personally to you guys, because of my situation. Start by asking the people around Ueno."

"We will. I'm sure that we'll be able to find your friend and have him get back in contact with you." Gus answered back. "Just give it a few moments."

"Hm. By the way, did you find Ryuji?" Arata asked back.

Richard immediately responded, as he knows that Arata would have heard of Ryuji's rampancy.

"No... Nothing for us." Richard stated, shaking his head in denial. "We're still trying to locate him after what he did."

"I see. Sorry I asked." Arata sighed, as he went in-between the group to blend in. "I'll stay with you guys so that no-one will be able to recognise me amongst you people."

The group then headed to Ueno, as they entered the park, moving around to see if there was anyone who knew anything that may have happened.

"This is where he was when I last contacted him. Ask around and see what you can find out. He's a hacker around about our age. His name is Shingo." Arata said. "I'll hack into the CCTV cameras in the area and see if any of them caught him."

The group nodded, as Arata pulled out his user interface to access the park cameras for their footage, while staying hidden in the group surrounding him, as everyone asked around, with the only related information they could get was the presence of Eaters in the museum and Shingo heading there.

"So the information and the footage I found relate to each other quite well..." Arata said. "There's a good chance it's Shingo in the museum. If so, then there's no time to lose. There are screams from the museum, meaning that he could be in danger."

"Then let us help. We'll help rescue him from the Eaters that the people saw in there!" Keisuke requested.

"No... You've done enough by collecting information on Shingo. I don't want to put you in harm's way." Arata refused Keisuke's request with a smile.

"Then consider our services now as a extra bonus for you, Arata." Richard added. "We won't let you go in there alone. We've got the Digimon to fight the Eaters at a even footing. They're just as beatable as any Digimon with our Digimon at least Mega-level."

"You guys are really stubborn... Okay, but be careful." Arata reluctantly changed his mind. "Don't get cocky around the Eaters, they're not an enemy to underestimate."

The group then moved into the museum, as they saw that the Museum was severely affected by the merging of the worlds, as Arata was shocked to see how much of the museum was digital data.

"This is terrible! Barely any part of the museum is still unaffected by the Digital Shift." Arata said.

"Digital Shift...?" Richard asked Arata, before he then realised that he hasn't learned the agreed-upon name for that event that merged the Digital World and the real world. "I guess it sounds like a reasonable name for it..."

"Look! I found something!" Antonio said, as he picked up a broken Digivice, which seemed to be cracked quite severely, as the screen had a gaping large glass hole on it. "Looks like there has been a struggle here, not to sound like some drama detective..."

"It's Shingo's Digivice! He must be around here somewhere. Let's find him!" Arata exclaimed.

The group then went through the museum, as they found Shingo hunched over and leaning on a wall.

"You're in pretty bad shape, Shingo! What happened!?" Arata demanded from his companion.

"I heard you say how you wanted to study the Eaters, I thought I'd help you out..." Shingo coughed. "I investigated all potential sightings, until I then actually ran into one, and it came after me. I'm lucky to be alive, with a smashed Digivice, and a sprained ankle. I thought I was a goner back then. Ha ha... I've just ended up causing you even more trouble. I've really screwed up."

"You idiot! You didn't need to do all that! You've already done more than enough for me!" Arata shouted. "Can you still stand? We need to go right now!"

Suddenly, they heard the gurgling and grating sounds of the squid-like Eaters coming, as there was a trio appearing in front of the group.

"Damn, they found us!" Arata cried in annoyance. "You guys are up! Destroy those Eaters and let's get out of here!"

Richard responded to Arata's words, by summoning Kuro, who immediately brandished both of his weapons, as a large laser cannon appeared out of his wolf gauntlet, and a large sword appeared from his dragon gauntlet.

"I've got a lot to repay for you all for what you did in Under Zero." Kuro stated in a very heated tone. "Allow me to pay you back in my own special way."

He then dashed up, before impaling his sword through the eye of one of the floating Eaters, as it screamed in unintelligible gibberish, as Kuro fired his cannon multiple times to blow the Eater to pieces.

"Whoa... That's Kuro now!?" Antonio spoke in pure awe from Kuro's display of overwhelming might. "Damn... He's tearing that Eater to pieces like nothing!"

The other Eaters tried to attack Kuro, by using their tentacles to try and sap his data from inside, although their attacks only struck skin-deep, as their attack had not much effect to the Ultra-level Digimon.

"Psh, like you can even harm me. Sure, your humanoid cousins may have a better chance at doing that." Kuro laughed at their attempts to try Eroding Terminal on him. "Oh right, I remember the first time I took one when I was a BlackGreyMon... So, consider this revenge."

He then whipped his sword out, as it glow with a eerie blue flame. "If you thought Omnimon did this cool, then prepare to watch your expectations be blown to pieces! Transcendent Sword!"

He then slashed at the Eaters in front of him in a single instant horizontal slash, as the Eaters were immediately bisected by the strike, as their separated parts squirmed and squealed, before all of them were incinerated to ashes by blue flames. Kuro merely withdrew his sword. "You aren't a match for me now." He stated.

Richard then withdrew Kuro back into his Digivice. "Never expected him to perform this well in this form. Wow, just wow." Richard stated with a surprised look on his face.

Sanae clapped at Kuro's performance, although she stopped when she felt awkward for clapping when everything was so silent.

"I guess that's it." Arata said, before he then slung Shingo on his back. "As expected from Hudie's strongest member currently."

"Hmph, and you better recognise-" Richard pridefully smirked, before he then got bopped on the head by Reimu, as he clutched where he was hit with a cry of pain. "What was that for!?"

"Stop trying to show off. We're not here to see your new Digimon in action." Reimu scolded Richard harshly. "Since we're done, we should get back to Erika's room and receive our payment."

"That's even worse!" Richard shouted back, before he sighed. "Still, point made. I guess this is where we part ways for now, Arata?"

Arata nodded, as he then left the museum with a injured Shingo, while Richard and the others headed back to Central Hospital, where they submitted the complete request, as Erika was checking something, before she then turned to the group.

"I've got some news from Fei." Erika announced to everyone. "She said that Ryuji is now currently fighting against the Demons. His enemy is potentially K. She got that from someone who was wandering EDEN at the time. She's still unable to log in in her condition, and so she asked for you guys to go for her. But please... do it for me as well. Stop my brother!"

"Got that. Will Wormmon be coming with us?" Richard asked.

"Of course! It's my duty to be Erika's eyes and ears in EDEN!" Wormmon chirped back in Erika's embrace, leaping out from under the blankets.

"Alright, just let me do something." Richard said. "I do believe that we forgot someone."

"Forgot who...?" Antonio asked, before he then realised what Richard meant. "Ah! You meant Adam, don't you?"

"Yep, we've been leaving him in the Sistermon Gym to train for so long. About time he gets some time with his partner, Elma." Richard confirmed, before he turned to Elma with a smile. "Are you glad to see him again? He won't be as cute as he was when he Digivolves, but you can believe me when I say that he'll soon be strong enough to protect you himself."

"I... I'm happy to hear that." Elma answered back.

"Alright, just stand near me. Same to you guys." Richard said, as he sat down using one of the room's chairs, as he accessed the Hudie site, and slid his EDEN visor down. "Don't worry, this won't hurt a single bit, Elma, just like the first time you moved into the real world from EDEN."

* * *

 _In the Sistermon Gym..._

Richard entered the gym, as he looked around for Adam, only to be unable to be seen.

"Where the hell is that over-excited imp of a Digimon?" Richard asked, as he looked around, seeing that Noir and Blanc were taking a quick nap, while Ciel was maintaining the gym equipment with some routine checks.

"Down... here..." Adam's weak voice was heard, which caused Richard to look down, and see the Impmon lying face-down on the ground. "You have... no idea how pooped I am now..."

"Ah. Adam, how was your training? I'm sure that Sistermon Ciel gave you a decent training cycle during the time we were away?" Richard spoke in a jovial tone.

"Fuck... You..." Adam raised his arm tiredly, struggling to give Richard the middle finger with his right hand.

"Oh, don't be like that. I bet that you're ready for your jump to Mega-level. Now you're in the big leagues like Kuro and the others. Except Kuro's Ultra-Level, and that level is only achievable in a scarce few forms, so you ain't getting to his level no matter how you try." Richard stated back with a sympathetic tone. "Plus, the Digivolution will refresh you quite a lot. You'll feel a lot more powerful and unstoppable than before. Elma, return Adam into your Digivice. He deserves a nice rest for his hard work."

"R-Right." Elma said, as she fumbled to get her Digivice out, as Adam's data stream was dark purple with a lining of red around the edges, before she then received a message from Richard, looking at him.

"It's the URL address to the DigiLab. Just in case you want to see more stuff in there. I'll take you there for the first time." Richard explained. "Come on."

* * *

 _In the DigiLab..._

"Well, can't believe that you weren't trying to pull bullshit over my eyes." Adam said with some sense of gratitude. "I guess you really do care about your friends and companions."

Richard nodded, as Elma was left struck with shock, as she noticed that Adam's new form, as Beelzemon, a demonic human-like Digimon clad in grey-black biker gear, with biker jacket, steel-toed boots with steel claws on top of the toes, baggy pants, silver clawed metallic gauntlets, a long reptilian tail behind his back, as his face was covered by a purple spiked helmet, as his red eyes shone through it, as there was also a red eye on his forehead, seemed to be quite similiar to her big brothers Zeabolos and Astaroth, save for some glaring differences.

"Now this looks more like my part. I look like a certified bad-ass in this outfit. Wonder if it comes with some guns to put some bullet holes into some pricks." Adam said, before he then reached his hand out, as twin pistols appeared in his hands. "Ha! Now's that's more like it! Now let's see who dares to fuck with me or Elma now!"

"Adam... Could you please tone down with the swearing? It's not polite..." Elma asked in a polite tone.

Adam looked at her pleading expression, before he then sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, can't help it, Elma dear." Adam apologised. "It's my nature to vent my anger with these words. Not my fault I was dealt a bad hand in life, and I was forced to curse it at every moment... But, things turned better when I saw you."

Adam then knelt down, as she placed a hand on her cheek gently. "Maybe I'll try my best to change. It won't be easy, but I'll try." He assured Elma. "But for now, my main priority is beating anyone who tries to even touch you into a pulp, unless they're your friends or someone you can actually trust. Like this guy, Richard, was it?"

Elma nodded, as Adam smiled.

"Well then, what's next?" Adam asked Richard, turning to him with both of his guns disappearing from his hands.

"Just some work. You'll get your chances to shoot some enemies full of holes." Richard answered back in a cordial manner. "Nice to see that you're happy with this form.

"Happy? Hell, I'm very ecstatic about this-!" Adam was about to say, before Elma returned him into the Digivice, before he could swear again, as the two avatars left the DigiLab.

* * *

 _At the Demons hideout's ruins..._

Everyone arrived at the scene of the Demons Hideout, as it was still more or less the same as when Nokia trashed the place before, as they found various Demon hackers strewn all around, as they were at best injured, with most of them unconscious on the ground.

"It was like this when we got here. I guess Ryuji did this..." Wormmon stated in a worried tone. "There's no sign of Ryuji or K. Let's ask the hackers and see what they know."

The group split up, as they managed to experience relatives level of difficulty in getting information, as some outright refused on the grounds that the group were Hudie hackers, and some were willing to tell, although their accounts did not do much to help their search of either Ryuji or K. After some fruitless searching, they returned together.

"Right. This isn't working. We need to do some more checking around..." Richard stated to everyone, before he then noticed something suspicious. "What's that? Over there on the wall?"

The group turned, as they walked to where Richard was pointing, as they found a glowing crimson mark on the wall, that was pulsating occasionally.

"This looks like a back door opened by a hacker." Wormmon commented on the glowing symbol. "I wonder if Ryuji did this? Or maybe..."

"...It's K." Sanae finished it off. "Makes sense, since this thing is quite strangely related to him in some way."

"Should we go through?" Wormmon asked. "I'm scared about what might happen on the other side..."

Keisuke ignored Wormmon's opinion, as he leapt into the symbol and disappeared, while the rest followed him in one-by-one. Wormmon, after panicking a little from their sudden action, jumped in to follow the others as well in fear of losing them.

* * *

 _In Digital Space..._

The group found themselves in a completely black area, as they saw K on the opposite end, looking like he was afraid of something, clutching his arms to his body like someone spooked out of their wits, as his mask was off. When he noticed that Richard and Keisuke appeared, he turned to them.

"Did you... come here to save me again?" K asked, in a shaky voice, instead of his usual confident voice, before he then grit his teeth in anger. "It's always the same with you... You come and save me, treat me all gentle, and then you look down on me!"

"Bullcrap, it's time to put a end to your bullshit!" Richard cried back. "Give back Keisuke's account, or else...!"

K wasn't listening, as there were a few guttural sounds, as he seemed to be listening to it as if it was someone talking.

"It's true... He's the same as all the others... Like the ones before me..." K whimpered, before he then raised his head. "So I want you all to take a good look. Look at 'me'."

He then lifted his mask, as it floated mid-air, before it then disappeared to reveal a door to another server. "Come. The stage is prepared. This time we'll finish it, once and for all." K spoke, regaining his confident voice, as he entered through it.

"Does he... want us to attack?" Wormmon asked.

"Looks like it." Reimu stated. "He seems intent on finishing us on his own land and terms."

"Then let's turn the odds against him, as well as the home advantage." Richard stated. "He won't be able to stop us from exacting justice for Keisuke."

When they entered through the door, they saw that the room was filled with floating orange cubes with yellow energy lines, as they formed the platforms and the background they saw.

"This place... I think it's inside the server." Wormmon said. 'Did K build this all himself? Be careful. We don't know which direction K will attack from."

Keisuke wasn't listening, as he noticed that there was a shadow of K behind him, as he whipped around to face him, only for his hand to touch it, as it disappeared, and Keisuke froze still.

"Keisuke?" Richard asked, before he then noticed that Keisuke was frozen. "Keisuke!? Are you alright!?"

After a few moments, Keisuke then blinked his eyes, as he clutched his head. "I think those images of him are his memories... I just saw what he did before I met him." He stated with a low groan.

"I see. So we'll meet more of these 'illusions', I take it?" Richard asked. "We'll leave it up to you to interface with them. Just leave the pathfinding to us."

Richard and the group navigated each and every maze among the areas, as they were forced to rely on Richard's use of the Hacker Skill Visualiser to help determine digital traps that would send them to random locations, mainly back to the start. Each time they reached one of K's shadows, they gave Keisuke time to touch it, as he processed the memory within it, before they continued on their way. Soon, they eventually arrived at a server transfer pad.

"I think that K was quite against having me in Hudie, so he tried to create everything I have been through with Youji, Kayaba, Hosaka, in order to make me be more reliant on him. And the strange thing is... He seems to be obsessed with me for some reason... Why does it feel like that I should have some clue as to what is going on here?" Keisuke recapped the memories he saw to the group.

"Don't know." Gus shrugged. "This kind of thing is quite unpredictable. Either way, we're at the final stretch. K should be on the other side of this thing."

"Yeah..." Keisuke replied back, as everyone stepped on it, to be transported into a simulation of Nakano's K-Cafe, where Richard and K took care of the Sangloupmon problem for the owner and his cat-maid, as well as the little girl Rico. "This is... K-Cafe in Nakano!?"

"Yeah, it looks just like the real world. But it's just a simulation. We're still on K's server." Wormmon stated.

"...That's horrible. Simulating our special place like this." K said, as he was sitting with one leg crossed over another on one of the chairs, as he got up on his feet, with his mask on his face. "...You get it now?"

K then revealed his face as Keisuke, before that face then turned into large blue pixels, as it reformatted into a face that shocked Keisuke, as well as surprising Reimu, Richard, Gus and Antonio, who have seen the person before, not expecting them.

"Y-Yu!?" Keisuke cried, as he was face-to-face with his friend.

"...I'm K. The one who stole your account was your best friend, me." Yu said, before he smiled grimly to Richard. "It seems that you have come as well... Especially you, Richard. You said all that nasty stuff about me all those times... Because I was wearing Keisuke's face and threatened to take his identity.

"But.. I...! You...!" Richard fumbled on his words. "But that's... that's impossible! Why would you do this!?"

"At first... all I wanted was your avatar, Keisuke..." Yu explained. "A simulation was fine. I just wanted to be near something that looked like you. But after a while, it wasn't enough... I started to feel I needed the real thing. So I created 'enemies'. Akira Hosaka, and then 'K'... If I could save you from them, and if we could beat them together, I thought you would start depending on me."

"So that's why you didn't hesitate when you erased Akira Hosaka's avatar..." Keisuke said. "Because he wasn't real to begin with...!"

"Man, this is all kinds of fucked up." Antonio groaned. "Your best friend really knows how to play this like a real lunatic, Keisuke..."

"I though that you'd be my best friend... my ally... my 'Vanguard'!" Yu cried with sorrow in his voice. "...Do you all think it was foolish!? You do, DON'T YOU!? But how could I tell you the truth? How could I tell you how I really felt? That I was no longer satisfied with just being your close friend."

"But it's not good to lie like this, Yu!" Elma responded back. "Even if you aren't ready to tell Keisuke how you really feel, you didn't have to do this... You can just take your time doing it, so that you'll be able to reach a comfortable level where you can be able to speak out your heart-"

"SHUT UP!" Yu screamed back at Elma, who immediately recoiled back with a cry, before he then lowered his voice a little. "...But then I finally understood. The 'voice' told me. You'd never really stand by my side, would you, Keisuke? After all, the truth is that even you are making fun of me! Just like those people!"

"Yu... I..." Keisuke tried to say, before he was cut off by Yu, whose expression was more vengeful.

"That's why you didn't go with me. You would only go with them, don't you!?" Yu roared back. "You're just like them... like those lowlife creeps that looked down on me! The only difference us that instead of violence, for you it's pity! So the only thing I could do was to become so strong that no one would make fun of me!"

"No! It's not!" Keisuke shouted back desperately. "Yu, I finally understand how you feel, but you have to understand that I still care for you! Remember when Richard intervened to knock those harassing hackers before? That's because no matter who the person is, Richard would do his best to end discrimination! He wants to ensure everyone is treated fair."

"Ha ha... Look at what you're saying, Keisuke. You actually believe the crap that you're saying right now." Yu chuckled dryly. "...And then a miracle happened! I was able to use K's power even in the real world! By using your account, I have become you! The most ideal version of you! The you that is the strongest hacker in EDEN! Finally you would be with me! Now no one can beat me! Through you... I became the Vanguard!"

Yu's image flickered, as it shifted to a image of Yu in his casual outfit, as Keisuke was shocked, before it flickered again back to Yu as K.

"Yu... There's no need to do any more... We can stop this-" Keisuke was about to say, reaching a hand out.

"Get back!" Yu slapped the hand away with force, as he smiled in a twisted manner. "'I' speak for 'you' now, remember? This is all the 'I' you wanted, right? This is the 'I' you wanted to become!"

The simulation fell apart around them, as Yu floated up, as the mask rose up as well, as a dark aura emanated from it in a red hue. "Rejoice! Now 'I' have become 'me'!"

Suddenly, there was a flash of light, as in the place of Yu, was a strange humanoid Digimon, that had a thin body, as well as a spiked head with spiked golden hair, as there was a pink cape strapped to its back, and its legs were covered in red baggy pants with black symbols, as well as wearing a short long-sleeved shirt with pink sleeves, that was loose, as its hands had needles in the place of fingers, and its feet were large dagger-like blades.

"Digimon... He was inside the mask!?" Wormmon cried at the new Digimon.

The Digimon then lifted up what used to be Yu's body, lifting it to eye-level. "I don't need this old me!" The Digimon said, as he threw it away in disgust, as the body bounced off the ground, and slid towards the group, who rushed to it.

"Yu! Are you okay-" Keisuke was about to say, before he saw that the face of the body was nothing but blue pixels over a black background. "...Ah... What...?"

"Yeeeekk! His face... It's gone!?" Wormmon squealed in terror of what he saw.

"He's nothing more than a worm who lost his mind between self-loathing and hero-worship." The Digimon mocked Yu, who was nothing more than a husk of what he was. "His talk of friendship sickened me. But he was the perfect exhibit in my side-show."

"So, you're the real K, the one who did all of this...!?" Gus asked in shock.

"Truly spoken!" The Digimon mock-bowed. "Without confidence, his dreams of equality were fruitless...! He wanted recognition, but lacked the courage to speak his mind! That's why he searched so desperately for ways to gain your attention! But it backfired, and instead it was Hudie that earned all the glory!"

The Digimon then cackled evilly. "It makes me laugh! The human heart is so weak and pathetic! Bwahahaha!"

"Don't you dare mock the heart of a human, you sadistic piece of code...!" Richard hissed back. "Matadormon!"

"Relax... Richard. I want to thank you for the non-stop amusement you gave me." Matadormon said in response. "'I' will fulfil the hopes of 'me'! I will become the you that you wished to be! If you won't be my possession. I have no need for you all... is that not so? Well then, what shall we play? I've got it...! Let's play 'Hero'! We used to play it all the time, Keisuke! I will play as the 'Dark Legend Vanguard K', and you will be... what was it, the 'Space Rescue Rangers'? That was so much fun..."

Matadormon's tone turned into a more sour one. "But I was always the one who lost in the end! It used to infuriate me...! After all, I was the 'Dark Legend Vanguard K'! I was supposed to be a invincible hero! That's right...! I cannot lose! It cannot be! It cannot be! IT CANNOT BEEEE!"

"Too bad! You're going to pay for everything that you have done, Matardormon!" Sanae declared. "You'll pay for what you did to everyone, especially Keisuke's friend, Yu! Toying with him like that... I won't forgive you!"

Sanae then summoned Aya, as Keisuke summoned HerculesKabuterimon, as he was determined to get revenge for Yu, while Richard stepped back, as Elma got in front.

"Go on, Elma. Summon Adam. I'm sure that he'll be happy to test his guns out on this monster of a Digimon." Richard encouraged Elma with a gentle tone.

"I... I will." Elma answered back, as she summoned Adam.

"Hoo... Looks like I have someone to test my guns out on." Adam muttered to himself, before he then wielded them, pointing them at Matadormon. "Say your prayers, Spikes, because I'm going to lay you six feet under!"

"You dare mock me!?" Matadormon cursed, before he then jumped into the air. "Earth-Shattering Stomp!"

He then kicked down at the group with flaming kicks, before he then landed his final kick on Adam, with all the remaining force on it, as it caused a dust cloud to appear from the force. "Is that all you can do? Pathetic!" Matadormon taunted his opponent.

However, as the dust cleared away, it was shown that Adam used his guns crossed over to block Matadormon's kick as there was a wild grin on his face. "Oh yeah? Same goes to you! That didn't even come close to hitting me! Putting all your eggs in one basket doesn't help against me!"

"W-What!?" Matadormon cried.

"Here, let me show you a real special attack!" Adam roared, as he punched Matadormon away from him, as he spun his guns around by the trigger on his fingers, before clutching them. "Double Impact!"

Matadormon cried in pain, as he was shot in multiple places, as bullet holes were riddled all over his body, as data leaked out of each of the wounds like blood.

"How... How is this possible! I am 'K'! I am supposed to be invincible!" Matadormon screamed.

"Not anymore! HerculesKabuterimon, Giga Blaster!" Keisuke ordered the finishing blow, as Matadormon was struck by the gigantic golden beam of lightning as he screamed.

"AAAaAAaaaAaAaaaaAaAa!" Matadormon shrieked, before he then faded away into broken data, as the mask he possessed dropped to the ground.

"Allow me." Richard said, before he then walked to it, and shattered it into many small pieces with a few well-placed and strong stomps. "Now then, 'K' isn't going to be doing anything any time soon, make that forever."

Everyone withdrew their Digimon back into their Digivices. Yu then woke up, as his face was restored, as he groaned a little, as he sat up. "Nnnn... Keisuke? Richard? You beat him, huh?" Yu asked in a monotone voice.

Keisuke then walked over to Yu. "Yeah, it's over..." Keisuke stated in a melancholic tone. "I'm happy that you're all fine after we managed to defeat him."

"I just picked up that mask somewhere, by accident in Kowloon." Yu told the group, looking at the shattered remains of the mask. "When I put it on, I felt so strong. My hacking skill, even my thinking... I was like another person. That's how I got mixed up with ZAXON. I thought it was all my own power. But... I was wrong. Everything I was able to do as 'K', was because of that mask..."

"I see..." Keisuke nodded back.

"Everything he said was true though. At some point, I just did everything he told me and I couldn't control myself anymore... But... you forgive me..." Yu said, before he looked at Keisuke in the eyes. "Don't you?"

"I do." Keisuke stated simply. "I know that this wasn't you from the start. You would never do such a thing so willingly."

"...Thanks, but that's exactly what it is about you that made it such agony for me..." Yu muttered, before he then raised his voice. "...Say it! Tell me you hate me! That you never want to see me again! I'm sick of you and how perfect you always are! Do you know how low it makes me feel every time you show pity on me like that!? Do you know!?"

Keisuke was shocked at Yu's word, as the silver-haired boy got on his knees, as he looked down, as tears leaked from his eyes. "I can never be strong... I can never match up to anyone." He said between sobs. "...No one will ever pick... me..."

His friend then knelt down, before he then hugged him tightly. "Hey... Yu... about what you said... I have something to tell you. I love.. you." He told Yu.

Yu gasped with wide eyes, before he could hear Keisuke giggling after he said that. "Hah! Got you! You always would fall for this, wouldn't you?" Keisuke asked him with a bright smile.

Yu then remained still for a moment, before he then wrapped his arms around Keisuke, as he let his head rest on Keisuke's shoulder. "You... You're such a fool... Keisuke..." Yu replied back, as more tears leaked from his eyes, as he smiled involuntarily.

The group let the two pals hug it out, as Richard merely smiled at how Keisuke and Yu reconciled with each other.

' _Seeing this really reminds me what I fight for... To see friends finally being able to put aside their differences to show their true feelings to each other like that. That's only one thing I serve to achieve... But it's important regardless..._ ' Richard thought. ' _Because it's something that everyone desires after, no matter who they are._ '


	25. Chapter 24: Saving Chitose and Erika

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 24: Saving Chitose and Erika

* * *

 _In the real world, at the Central Hospital of Tokyo..._

Richard, Gus and Keisuke were sitting together on one of the benches, as Wormmon scooting over from behind them. From there, the Digimon noticed that Keisuke seemed to be disturbed, while Richard was giving him a sympathetic look, as he didn't know what to say about what happened to Yu.

"You look really down, Keisuke." Wormmon commented, as the boy tilted his head towards the Digimon. "You still can't believe that 'K' was Yu all along, with everything he had done?"

"Yes... It's quite painful to actually hear the truth like that." Keisuke answered back, before he sighed. "I can't believe I was so stupid. If only I paid more attention to his feelings and mental state, I could have figured this out sooner...!"

"Hey, don't say that." Gus told Keisuke. "You've done all you could. Saving him was the best thing you could do at the time, and even though it was hard, you managed to forgive him and he returned back to himself."

"What are you doing here, Wormmon?" Richard asked the small insect Digimon. Wouldn't Erika be needing your help?"

"No, she's been doing her work and she didn't want me to disturb her." Wormmon shook his head. "Speaking of which, watching you all made me think hackers are so cool. So I want to be a hacker Digimon!"

Richard chuckled a little, as Keisuke was surprised by the sudden declaration. "Well, I've never heard of such a case, you believe that you can achieve it, little Wormmon?" Richard asked in a sagely voice.

"Wouldn't it be really cool, though!?" Wormmon energetically replied back. "Erika and I share memories, so thanks to it, I'm pretty good at hacking. My goal is to take over from your friend as the new Vanguard. It's just like he said, 'Become the Vanguard, the hacker of justice'!"

"Vanguard? Wormmon, you didn't really have to do that for me-" Keisuke responded back, as he gave the Digimon a weak smile.

"Your friend went crazy because of a Digimon. He may have gone about it the wrong way, but that dream is pretty awesome. That's why I want to become the Vanguard and do lots of good things!" Wormmon stopped Keisuke with determined words. "If I can do that, it'll prove that not everything you and your friend did was a mistake! And if I can become a great hacker, Ryuji might be able to join Hudie as one of my hackers, even if I can't return to the Digital World. Two birds with one stone, right?"

Richard remained silent, before he then burst out into great laughter, clutching his face, as Wormmon was hurt by him finding his words humorous, as Gus glared at Richard strictly.

"Richard! Wormmon's being serious here! You can't just be a jerk and laugh at his ambition!" Gus told off Richard.

"No no, I'm not laughing about the ambition itself." Richard replied back. "I'm just simply amused at how ambitious you are, Wormmon. Achieving a goal like that would make you something near a digital god if you could achieve that. Plus, who knows when I might exceed Ryuji. Then you would have to earn my subservience in order to prove your might as a hacker! I was just simply amused, when I haven't been like this for a while, hearing all of this. I admire your determination to achieve this."

"Really!?" Wormmon asked back, his eyes sparkling with confidence.

"Yeah. You remind me of one of my closest friends. She's a little bit stubborn at times, and rarely knows when to back down..." Richard responded back. "But it's that unfaltering willpower and confidence that makes her so awesome and great, and she's got what it takes to back her confidence."

"Wait, could you be talking about-" Gus was about to say, before Richard then interrupted him, as he saw that Erika was beckoning them to come in by the doorway, before she then returned to her ward.

"Ah, Erika must have something to discuss with us." Richard told the group, as he got up. "Come, we need to hear what she might have got from the thesis."

Gus and Keisuke followed after him, as Wormmon jumped onto Keisuke's back, as the four passed by Richard's other members, who were talking amongst each other, before they were called over by a hand-wave from Richard to get them to come with him.

When they entered the ward where Erika was, as Erika was sitting on her bed, looking a little better than she was before, thanks to having gotten her treatments again to help her health.

"Alright, I've finally analysed the paper that Akemi Suedou gave me. I was just entering the necessary data into the terminal... We'll start when it's done. Anyway, we're helping Chitose next." Erika told everyone. "After reading the information from the thesis, I finally know what happened to Chitose. His mental data has been assimilated by an Eater. To save you the trouble of having to read his papers on the Eaters, they're basically data-gathering devices. They collect data and send it somewhere. That's their main behavioural patterns."

"So they collect the 'souls' of the digital people, and trap them in a place where they are stored? Yikes... " Antonio said in a shocked and fearful tone.

"EDEN Syndrome results from an error that occurs when a human's mental data that has been converted to information is absorbed by an Eater." Erika continued. "The mental data is then sent via the Eater Network to the core Mother Eater in the Digital World. That's what his paper says. So if we get his mental data from there, he'll wake up."

"But where's 'there'?" Sanae asked, as she rubbed the back of her head with a dull groan. "It's not helpful unless we have something to get in there with..."

"That has been taken care of. But first, we need to find a route to the Mother Eater." Erika answered back. "Much like how Wormmon fell into EDEN from the Digital World, there must be a point or several where the two worlds are connected in some manner. A junction specifically. So we will try to find something like that, so that it will save us the trouble of opening up our own route, which is dangerous and time-consuming. So we'll follow the Eater network back, to get direct access to the Mother Eater."

"Great! Is that what Suedou's paper says?" Wormmon asked back.

"He wrote about a different way about getting to an Mother Eater, but I couldn't decipher it." Erika said. "He seems to be very determined to keep that a secret from anyone. Do you remember where the junction is, Wormmon?"

"Erm... Hold on, it's been a while since I used this memory. I fell into this world when I was really small, so my memory isn't clear..." Wormmon pondered, with closed eyes. "But I vaguely remember a big stuffed toy. That place looked like a park."

"Junk Plaza!" Keisuke and Richard declared at the same time.

"Yeah! That's the place! That's where I fell into this world!" Wormmon answered back with joy. "Then let's go there! This is going to be so exciting! Saving a friend from the lair of an evil monster! That's just the kind of treacherous mission that calls for a hacker Digimon! Hang on, Chitose! Wormmon the Vanguard is coming for you!"

"Well, do be careful in there, you don't want to get sucked dry by their tentacles... Huehuehue..." Reimu giggled evilly.

"HIIIEEEE!' Wormmon shrieked, as he immediately scrambled back into the blanket, as Reimu chuckled.

"Come on, you little coward. Don't be so afraid. You do remember that Richard and the others have partners strong enough to fight against them, right?" Reimu said. 'You won't be harmed with us by your side. Didn't you say that you're the Vanguard! Then show us what you got!"

"Hacker Digimon? What's a Vanguard? Why's he so excited?" Erika asked the group.

"It's a term he coined for himself when he believes he is a Digimon who is also a good hacker, the title is something that Yu aspired to be, sort of like the title of hero, and both of the former reasons combined is what got him determined to dive in and rescue, as it would be thrilling and amazing." Gus answered the questions in respective order in which they were asked.

"Well, he better not tire himself. He seems to be getting more and more clumsy, ever since he came to this world." Erika sighed in a motherly tone, caring about Wormmon's safety.

"I'm coming for you-" Wormmon said, before he then slammed his head against a wall by accident. "Ow!"

He then fell onto his back, as he was knocked dizzy by the impact, as swirls appeared over his eyes. "Oooh..." He moaned dizzily.

Richard then smiled, as he picked up the Digimon, sat down in front of the desktop, placed the still-dazed Wormmon on his lap, and then logged into EDEN, with a swish of his EDEN visor.

* * *

 _In the first level of Kowloon..._

The group arrived at the topmost layer of the cyberspace, as they summoned their Digimon partners, in order to handle any wild Digimon encounters. Strangely, on their way, they didn't encounter any wild Digimon, as the few they saw seemed to be fleeing from them.

"That's strange..." Richard remarked. "I guess the power manifested itself into a aura that seems to deter Digimon that are wild and/or hostile to us. Then again, they're Rookies and In-Trainings, so I guess it seems reasonable why things are like this."

They soon arrived at the Junk Plaza, which seemed to be a rundown park filled with various kinds of junk, including tire piles, a basketball hoop, traffic signs, and pipes. Looking around, they found Erika with Wormmon, waiting for them.

"There you are!" Wormmon cried, as he leaned out from Erika's side, waving a leg. "Over here!"

The group immediately did so, as Erika summoned up her user interface.

"The connection here is there, but it's too unstable to see, let alone reliably use." Erika stated, as she fiddled with the coding of the area. "Hold on, I'll try stabilising the values."

Soon enough, after Erika finished her work, a large white tear in the cyberspace appeared in front of them, as Wormmon looked at it, as he seemed to recognise it.

"Wow! There it is! The hole I fell through!" Wormmon remarked, jumping with joy.

"It worked. And it looks like the link to the Mother Eater has been activated as well." Erika commented, as she wiped some sweat off her forehead. "Suedou's paper gave values for the approximate location of the Mother Eater. I just tried connecting to them. It was like opening a back door."

"Just like you usually do for us?" Richard asked with a nod. "Well, it seems that it won't go the full way to the Digital World, but it'll at least reach the Mother Eater right?"

"Using the Eater Network has led to that, and there's no guarantee that it will take us where we want." Erika said. "But with time and improvements, perhaps it will allow us to make stable pathways to the Digital World for real. Alright, this is it. Once we infiltrate the Eater network, we'll need to secure an Eater. I'll hack it and disguise us as Eater information. That way, we shouldn't be attacked even while we're close to the Mother Eater."

"Leave it to me! If we get surrounded by Eaters, I'll hack them all!" Wormmon confidently added.

"No, you need to stay here and watch." Erika told Wormmon. "Someone needs to stand guard here. I'll share the procedure for controlling the route. I'm counting on you."

"But... But I want to... save Chitose..." Wormmon whimpered in a disappointed voice.

"I know, but you might not be ready for that yet." Erika assured Wormmon. "This is a extremely hazardous mission. Some very dangerous things could happen. I thought that you were the only one I could trust with this mission, but with Keisuke, Richard and the others. So you won't have to risk yourself.

"Then leave it to me! After all, I'm a hacker Digimon! And the future Vanguard!" Wormmon nodded.

"It'll be all up to you to ensure that you'll get us back in one piece, Wormmon. We're counting on you, Vanguard!" Sanae shouted to him.

"Alright, let's head in. Remember, this is a place where anything could happen, so stay on your guard." Erika warned everyone.

"Since when have we never?" Richard asked back with a grin, as Erika noted the point, and didn't say anything else.

They soon entered the portal, as Wormmon kept watch.

"This is great! Everyone is already starting to see me as the Vanguard!" Wormmon cheered. "Hackers, Digimon, anyone... Do your worst!"

Wormmon then kept watch, before he then looked around, as he deflated a little.

"...I hope they will come back soon..." He muttered to himself.

* * *

 _In the Eater Network..._

The group found themselves in a world of black and white, as the entire area consisted of black and white-patterns with thin black chevron-marked rails in white, spirals of black and white in the background, and large rings of black and white with complicated patterns for them to fly through.

"So this is the Eater Network..." Richard said, as he looked around. "It looks so... bleak."

"Our avatar sensations seem the same as in EDEN." Erika noted, squeezing her hand to test her sense of touch, before she noticed a Eater coming their way. "Excellent timing! Weaken it! I'll use the chance to hack it!"

"Roger!" Richard cried, as he summon Kuro, while Elma and Reimu were up for the battle, as Ran and Adam came into the battle.

"Well, this is the Eaters that I heard about... Sheesh, talk about creepy digital squids with a tendency to shove their tentacles into the bodies of avatars and Digimon." Adam quipped, as he clicked his tongue. "SO not my cup of tea."

"This deformed being will not be spared of repentance for its sins." Ran said, as she readied her brush. "I will do as Erika says, and weaken it."

The both of them attack the Eater using their various attacks, as the Eater was no match for the Ultimate and Mega, as it began to slow down from fatigue and exhaustion, before Kuro fired off a laser shot to immoblise the Eater.

"That should do it. Now to steal its permissions." Erika said, as she tapped on her Memetan, before she stopped, as the group felt a strange sensation around their entire body. "It worked. To them, we now appear to be the information they send to the Mother Eater."

The Eater then began to move, but instead of engaging the group, it merely floated away in the opposite direction.

"See, the Eater isn't interested in us anymore." Erika stated. "Now we can get close to the Mother Eater. But it's not a complete fail-safe. Some might still attack us, so keep your guard up."

"Alright, noted." Gus answered back, as he summoned Sun, while Antonio summoned Bolt.

They then continued down the path, as they saw that there was a stream of blue lights, of varying brightness, as they flowed to the end of the network.

"Could this be the human mental data?" Erika questioned about the flow of blue she saw. "So that's what a normal person's mental data is like. But I wouldn't know which is Chitose's data. So I prepared something for that."

She then typed a few keys in, as a familiar Ankylomon appeared in front of them, as it roared its greetings to the group, giving Richard a friendly look.

"No way... That's... It's Chitose's partner, Ankylomon!" Richard exclaimed.

"That's right. It could act as a receptacle to draw out Chitose's mental data. He knows Chitose's information better than anyone, as they share a bond between each other, and so he might be the best chance of helping us find his partner's mental data." Erika confirmed back, before she walked up to the Digimon. "We're looking for Chtiose, do you know where he is?"

The Ankylomon is silent for a moment, as it regards the streams of mental data, following the flow with its eye, before it then moved, and beckoned the group to follow with a wave of one of it's hind-legs.

"It looks like that he's just ahead. Let's follow." Erika interpreted the Digimon's gesture.

The group continued down the path, before they landed in a small flat area, where the floor were checkered in black and white, and in front of them seemed to be a black-haired version of Yuugo's avatar, as his back was turned to them.

"...Yuugo?" Keisuke asked.

The Yuugo-lookalike turned around, facing the group, as he had the same face as the original as well. "I can't believe it. I never thought I would see any normal mental data in this place." He spoke gently. "Hehehe, nope, I'm not Yuugo. I don't have anything to do with him. That might be a little hard to explain why though."

"Tell us, we're willing to listen." Gus offered to the lookalike.

"Not before I ask you this: How exactly did you get here?" The lookalike responded with another question.

"Simple, we followed an Eater in. Afterwards, we hacked one of them in order to gain permissions to be like information that the Eater collects, allowing us safe passage to here, which may be the Mother Eater, by the looks of it." Keisuke honestly answered the question.

"I see. I never seen anyone gain access to here like that." The lookalike nodded, speaking in a amused tone. "Then again, it's pretty much unheard for anyone to reach this far. How is it that you're able to do that? It must have taken considerable processing power. Something far beyond normal people."

He then turned his head to Erika, as if he was examining her, before he turned back to them.

"Ah, so you are involved with EDEN." The lookalike continued. "Because I am a part of a giant data structure, I can always recognise someone like me. But I've been fully assimilated. My abilities are very limited. Consider me as a guard, but not the kind who would engage you all the sudden. We protect the human mental data assimilated by the Eaters, so they don't accidentally erase us."

"Then we just want to ask you something. We want to retrieve the mental data of a friend who was victim to your Eaters." Richard said. "Please allow us to find him. We're confident that we can find him amongst the sea of mental data."

"Sorry, but I can't help you. All I can do is protect the mental data to stop it from being erased. Once mental data has been separated from the body, it is impossible for them to be unified again. Even if you did find him, how will you circumvent this problem?" The avatar guard asked back, before he noticed that Chitose's Ankylomon was rushing past him. "...Huh?"

The Ankylomon then rushed into the stream, before coming out with a sphere of human mental data, as the Ankylomon roared to gain the attention of everyone.

"Could that be Chitose?" Erika asked.

"Ah, a Digimon. I can feel a definite connection between him and that Digimon, but..." The guard shook his head sadly.

"No, it's possible. A bond is something that is not easily forsaken, guard of the Eater Network." Richard answered back. "These kinds of bonds link the souls and spirits of two beings together so tightly, that not even death would separate them eternally. These kinds of bonds would allow them to meet again in their next lives, as if it was destiny itself. So if the scientific and logical side of things won't allow this, why don't we let the emotional and spiritual side make their argument?"

"Yes, I've heard of such things." The guard answered back. "In that case, then I have no objections at all. Perhaps considering the recent events that I might have heard from what little rumours I heard from the unfortunate people whose mental data were erased without rhyme or reason. And the time I spent in this network has left my thinking inflexible. If you believe that this is possible, then I won't stop you. You deserve to get your friend back, or at least try, after you have done everything for his sake."

"Thank you... Thank you, black-haired brother..." Elma thanked the guard.

"Well, I never been thanked like this. Yet another thing that I must consider..." The guard smiled back, before he then frowned again, before he noticed that some Eaters appeared behind him. "Oh dear. It looks like they detected you all as foreign objects when you accessed the mental data. It's time for you all to leave, since your cover might not work now. I cannot help, so run!"

"You don't have to say this twice!" Richard cried back, before he summoned Kuro. "Kuro, we don't have time to fight them as well as their reinforcements, blow a path through! Use Transcendant Sword!"

Kuro obliged to the order, as he immediately slashed across the area in front of them, as the attack actually managed to bisect one of them, making them useless, while the others were at best floored, dazed from the great force of the attack.

"Go... GO!" Richard shouted.

The group immediately flew for it, as they rushed with the Eaters on their tail. The group managed to do so well, until Erika managed to accidentally slam into a Eater as it latched onto her.

"Argh!" Erika cried.

"Erika!" Richard cried, as Kuro immediately moved in front to stem the tide of approaching Eaters with his attacks as best as he could. "Are you alright!?"

"Stay away!" Erika shouted, as she struggled to get the Eater off her. "Save yourselves! I'll be fine!"

"No way! I'm not leaving you here!" Richard cried, as he was about to summon a sukima to bring out a blade to sever the tentacles binding Erika.

"Wormmon!" Erika cried, as she opened up a communication line to Wormmon.

"Erika!? Are you okay? You seem to sound like you're in trouble!" Wormmon exclaimed, with worry about Erika.

"Shut down my server! Hurry!" Erika ordered her Digimon.

"But if I do that! You'll be...!" Wormmon replied back, as his voice seemed to be filled with dread.

"It's fine! Just do it!" Erika ordered, as Wormmon was silent, before he then closed the communications line.

Erika then suddenly disappeared, shocking the group for a while, as Kuro was pushed back by the waves of Eaters pursuing them.

"We haven't got time to waste! Let's get out of here, before things turn ugly!" Richard ordered his friends.

The group then reached the opening as they tumbled out of it one-by-one, onto each other, as they separated from each other. Richard saw that the Eaters was close-behind them, as he could see a Eater Tentacle come out slowly.

"Oh shit! Wormmon, cut the rift, now! NOW!" Richard screamed with fear, as he backpedalled away from the tentacle.

Wormmon immediately did so, as the rift disappeared, as well as the tentacle poking out of it.

"I did it, Erika! I did it! I'm a awesome hacker Digimon!" Wormmon cheered at his success, before he then remembered what happened. "I think we need to check on Erika, she should be fine, since I helped log her out before she could be affected..."

Richard felt a sense of dread, as he felt things weren't going to be that simple.

* * *

 _In the real world..._

When the group returned back to the real world, Richard turned to Erika, as she seemed to be fine, as her eyes showed no signs of unconsciousness or mental degradation.

"Oh, thank god, Erika. You're fine! We managed to save Chitose after all-" Richard sighed in relief, before coming over to her.

"Who are you?" Erika asked in a unfamiliar voice, which caused Richard to freeze mid-step.

"What do you mean, Erika?" Wormmon asked her. "Don't you remember me?"

"Erika? Is that... my name?" Erika questioned herself, as she looked around, before looking at Wormmon. "Are you a bug?"

"I'm not a bug! I'm a Digimon!" Wormmon cried back. "You've really forgotten everything!? Pull yourself together, I'm Wormmon! You're Erika! We're partners!"

"Part... ners? I..." Erika muttered, before she then suddenly fell forwards, as she fell unconscious, as blood leaked from her nose.

"Erika!" Wormmon shouted in dread.

"Oh crap, she's sick again!" Antonio cried, as he rushed out. "Someone call the nurse! She's bleeding in the nose!"

When the group managed to get help, they saw that Erika was undergoing treatment, as Richard grimly looked at her.

"Tell me, Wormmon. What you did was a hard reset of some sort? You did a quick shut-down of her memory server, to restart it." Richard said, not taking his eyes off Erika. "Whatever it was... It didn't work as intended. She lost her memories and her illness acted up again. But still... better than being assimilated by Eaters, because that would be something we can't fix like this problem... But what's the solution then?"

"Ah, you're there too?" Suedou's voice sounded, as Richard's eyes widened, as a murderous intent filled him, as he clenched his fists, and slowly turned around to face the digital researcher.

"Well, well, Akemi Suedou. Ain't that a lovely pleasure?" Richard spoke with dripping sarcasm. "What are you here to do? To talk more about your conspiracies about the Eaters, huh?"

"Actually, I'm the one who developed the basic theory behind her treatment." Suedou responded back. "Just the basic theory. I'm not involved in her actual treatment. But when I heard that there was a unusual incident from one of the doctors, the head doctor called me in to take a look."

"So that you can mess with her!? Hell no-!" Richard was about to roar, before he was restrained by Gus.

"Calm down, Richard. I know that you hate Suedou, but he's trying to help us here. It wouldn't help to say such things about him." Gus told Richard with calming words.

"Have you forgotten that he's the reason why Erika is like this!?" Richard shouted back.

"Have you forgotten what we just did? Saving Chitose's mental data from the Eaters using the very same method you're blaming?" Gus retorted back.

Richard then noticed that Gus was right, as he immediately closed his off and trailed into silence.

"So you know how to restore her memory, Suedou?" Wormmon asked. "It looks like that the link was broken when the memory server was shut down."

"Hmm... As much as I would like to talk about how I'm impressed your friend managed to access Mother Eater, I suppose you're more interested in listening for a solution for the current problem from me." Suedou explained. "Of course, it's possible. She has a backup device in her memory server. Even if the link is broken, the device saves all her memories until just before the shutdown. The server contains a program that reestablishes the link when the server is booted. If you can activate it, her memories will be restored. But it won't be easy. To do external access of the server, you'll need a team of highly skilled engineers. But another was is to access it from EDEN to activate the backup. Usually, only Erika as the owner can access it. But as her partner and the one sharing her memories, you're effectively another back-up of her memories, and thus would be given access the the server as if you were her. I see no reason why it wouldn't be the case."

"So if we can get into the server and activate the backup memory, Erika will wake up!?" Wormmon asked back, hooked on by the offer.

"So we have to do a digital version of the Dive Into The Heart Sequence with Erika?" Sanae added.

"Excuse me?" Suedou asked Sanae, strangely intrigued by her words.

"I mean, I was just being a little silly there. Sorry." Sanae apologised immediately.

"Correct, but the server is still equipped with safety countermeasures, so you'll need to be careful not to trigger them or you'll never come back." Suedou warned them, before he turned away to leave, after placing a few papers in front of Wormmon "I must take my leave now. Please read my papers on memory access before you go. Remember that my papers only illustrate the underlying theories, and the cure for her disease is still nowhere to be found. If you want my personal opinion, restoring her memory would be making things painful, since she will have to wake up to her painful memories that plague her mind, creating sadness and sorrow. Once I have completed my plans, everything you have done or will do will become completely meaningless. Until then, may you live your lives as happy as you wish."

Richard hatefully watched Suedou leave, before he scoffed.

"Screw that nut-case. If he wants to euthanize Erika, then he can shove it up his ass." Richard swore. "We're going to restore Erika's memories not only because she deserves to live a happy life, but because after what he said, I'm going to spit at it by doing the very thing that he is against. To hell with his prejudices."

"Yeah... I can't believe that he would do such a thing... Even though he has been quite helpful lately..." Keisuke reluctantly agreed.

"Erika wouldn't want this either! She still has to save Ryuji and bring Hudie back together!" Wormmon chimed in, before Keisuke and Richard received a message from Suedou with the server URL.

"Well, time to go. Wormmon, we're counting on you again, so do your best, alright?" Richard told Wormmon.

"Right!" Wormmon shouted back.

They then went back into Erika's ward, as they logged into EDEN from there.

* * *

 _Inside the Memory Server..._

Richard was the first to log into the memory server, which was a large singular platform with a massive hemispheric device in the middle, as it had ridges and glowing lights around it, as there were several terminals around the corners of the device. Soon, the rest of the group entered the cyberspace, as Wormmon waddled in front of it.

"This is Erika's Memory server." Wormmon stated. "According to the manual Suedou gave us, we can get inside if we can access that terminal. But still, I know what we said about Suedou, but is it really the best choice to restore her memories? Her memories have been confused with mine lately, and I don't know whose is whose. I don't want to wake her into someone who remembers the wrong things, and ends up hurting herself..."

"Well, we won't let that happen. She'll remember us, and we'll make sure that she'll remember who she is, as well as what she has done." Richard assured Wormmon.

"Yeah, you're right! I believe Erika's voice inside of me!" Wormmon shouted with newfound confidence, as he crawled up to the terminal. "I don't know what it'll be like on the server, so keep your wits about you!"

The group then walked up to the terminal, as they placed their hands on it, as they were sucked into the massive central device which was where her memories were stored.

As the group fell down, they saw that there was a rain of digital polymerised space rocks around them, as they were falling towards a large cyan-blue hole, as the digital cyberspace shimmered around them. As they continued to fall, they landed on a clear platform, as they saw the hole slowly shrink and transform into a planet-like orb, as more and more of them lit up in the surroundings, before they zoomed out to reveal they were forming a image of a cartoon-like deformed Erika, whose hair was tied in pig-tails and was floating around, as she was clutching her knees between her arms, as her eyes were closed. She was floating amidst a background of outer space, as there was a spiral-shaped galaxy on one corner, and several planers in various locations. There was also a asteroid belt that looped away and towards her, and behind her was a rain of yellow comets that faded in the dark black space.

Everyone admired the vivid background of Erika's memory-scape, as Richard was beyond astonished by the scene he saw.

"So... So beautiful..." Richard muttered without any control over his words. "I cannot fathom how adorable and mesmerising this looks..."

Richard was so absorbed by the scenery, that he couldn't take his eyes of it, as Gus tried to make him move by poking him, nudging him, and even pinching him to make him feel pain and snap out of the trance he was in. However, neither method worked, as Gus was forced to grab Richard's hand and drag his still friend along the entire way.

The group continued on, before they reached the end of the passageway of clear platforms, as they saw a large circular pad in front of them. As soon as they stepped onto it, they were sent flying forward into the background.

As they continued, they saw that the background image of Erika opened her eyes, before white tears began to leak from them, running down her cheek. The background them zoomed back into the various circles that created the image of Erika, before it zoomed back into the rain of polymer rocks, before it gave way to a image of a cartoony Erika sleeping in a large bed with a thick blanket, as the curtains were open with sunlight streaming from the bedroom's windows, and there was a desk filled with books on it. Most strangely, there were also a lot of animal plush toys around her, as two of them were her trusted companions Memetan and Toto.

As soon the scene changed, Richard snapped out of the trance he was in, as he admired the new scene, although not as much as before.

"Ah! Where did I end up? Did I end up being taken in so much by the pure brilliant art of this place?" Richard asked in a dreamy tone, as if he recently woke up from a great dream of his own.

"Yeah... You looked like you were into it." Gus answered him back. "I had to drag you alone myself by the arm."

"I wonder.." Richard muttered, as he continued down the path with the group. Soon enough, they reached a terminal, which Keisuke approached.

"This is it! We should be able to access the backup memory from here!" Wormmon said, before he then hopped onto the terminal. "Hold on, I'll give it a try."

He then made a lot of quick inputs in a short time with most of his legs, as the terminal let out a triumphant ping alarm at the success.

"I did it! That should restore Erika's link with the server!" Wormmon cheered. "Look who's the Vanguard now! Don't you agree!'

"I do, Wormmon! You were really great!" Elma encouraged Wormmon.

Keisuke looked around, before he then noticed a shadow of Erika standing before him, muck like K's shadows in the server, filled with Yu's memories. He then moved forward to touch it. However, he was stopped midway by Richard, who grabbed his arm firmly.

"It's best we don't pry too much further." Richard warned. "The deeper we go, the more twisted things become. Erika would not like us seeing her deepest depths of her memories. So please, let us respect her secrets by not going any deeper than we must."

Keisuke acknowledged the warning, as he backed off from the shadow of Erika, before then turned around, as he made his way back to the log-out point.

Richard then looked at the shadow as he sighed, while the rest of his team left, as a prideful Wormmon was resting on a cheering Elma's head.

' _Erika... I'm sure that you won't be happy that we have been looking into your memories, but soon enough, we will have to dive into your darkest parts in order to help you..._ ' Richard thought. ' _I can't let you be alone for so long. I'll be the one to take you to worlds where you will be able to live a life you deserve, and be with people who will care for you as long as you want them to._ '

He then left, as the memory server reverted back into its original state.


	26. Chapter 25: Confronting Ryuji

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 25: Confronting Ryuji

* * *

 _In the real world, at Tokyo's Central Hospital..._

Erika was returned to her ward, as she looked at the group silently, blinking a few times, as everyone didn't say anything since the moment she woke up from the treatment, and their restoration of her memory.

"Erika? Do you know who I am?" Wormmon asked gently.

"Wormmon. Although a little clumsy and hyper-active, you're still my partner." Erika stated, as she turned to everyone. "And I remember you, Keisuke Amazama and Richard Liu, the ones who have been the greatest contributors in solving cases for Hudie. And the rest of you are Richard's friends. Gus, Antonio, Reimu, Sanae and Elma, right?"

"Yay! Your memory's back!" Wormmon whooped in joy. "And now we can go and see Chitose together!"

"Yeah... Let's take the Digimon to Chitose? I wonder where he is? Go and ask, you two!" Wormmon bossed around Richard and Keisuke with a false strict tone and a matching expression.

"Hey, that's not the right way to say such things, Wormmon." Richard spoke in a amused tone, as he lightly chopped Wormmon on the head. "But still, since you asked, we'll go and look for him. Everyone stay here, while Keisuke and I head out to find where Chitose is. He might be out of the ward."

They both left the room, before they saw a nurse coming up to them.

"Excuse me, you're Erika's friends, aren't you? Do you know where her brother is? He's her only family." The nurse asked them politely.

"Sorry, we don't know where he is. We've been looking for him ourselves." Keisuke responded back. "It's worrying us as well, since we want him to help take care of Erika."

"I see. Erika's condtion doesn't look good recently. So please notify us if you found him." The nurse responded back, before she bowed and left.

Hearing the nurse's words, Keisuke paled a little, as he felt like that Erika is getting more and more sick because of current events.

"Wait, is she implying...!?' Keisuke asked Richard in a frantic tone.

"Calm down, Keisuke. The nurse might be misunderstanding the situation. Perhaps Erika is being a little too sick at the moment, but we'll eventually fix that in time." Richard assured Keisuke, before he then sighed. "Too bad we didn't get to ask her where Chtiose is. Let's look around."

They explored the hospital, as they asked around with many doctors and nurses, only to finally find the location where Chitose was in, the Intensive Card ward, as they found him walking around, as they immediately rushed to him. Seeing two of his companions, Chitose smiled, as he was glad to meet them again.

"Hey." Chitose blurted out, as he rubbed the back of his head, ruffling his hair slightly. "Been a long time, eh?"

"Chitose..." Richard spoke with relief and happiness, as he came closer, and gave Chitose a soft hug to avoid hurting him. "You're finally back. Everyone been doing their best to help wake you up. We found the method, and we succeeded perfectly, as you're all awake and healthy now. I can't believe that I have to say this, but I damn well miss you, Chitose. I truly do."

Keisuke then walked over, as he joined in the hug. "Welcome back, Chitose." He told his hacker buddy with a smile. "We've managed to keep Hudie alive and well in your absence."

"I see... Somehow, I get the feeling that I've put you all through a lot of trouble?" Chitose asked them both, patting their backs gently in consolation, before he sighed deeply. "Ryuji going to kill me when he finds out that I have. But where is he, by the way? Shouldn't he be around here, coming over to give me a earful for what I have done?"

"About that..." Richard stated in a worried tone, releasing the hug, and looking away from Chitose. "It's best we explain with Erika. I'll take you there. You should be fine after you've been reunited with your mental data, or your mind? Nothing jumbled or messed up in your head?"

"Not that I know of. I took a walk, and I'm pretty fit and well." Chitose responded back. "Come, I have to see the little lady."

The duo then led Chitose into Erika's ward, as Gus gasped in surprise as Chitose was standing up all well, Reimu placed a hand on her chest in relief, and Sanae almost screamed in pure elation, before she covered her mouth to stop it from going out. Elma, who didn't know Chitose, merely smiled, as did Erika.

"Welcome back, Chitose!" Erika enthusiastically greeted Chitose, who blushed a little at her smile, before she then silently pumped her fist up to mutter to herself, "Yes! It worked!"

"Glad to see the team's all here. And another little lady to the group!" Chitose remarked, as he turned to Elma, as he knelt down, and smiled. "What's your name, little lady?"

"It's... um... Elma!" Elma replied back in a shy tone.

"Well, now I guess I can't just use little lady now, since there are two of them now." Chitose chuckled. "Little lady Elma, and Little lady Erika. Seems quite adorable come to think of it. Now... What were going to say?"

Keisuke merely stifled a deep breath, as he knew that Chitose won't take what he missed lightly. He remarked on how they exposed K as Yu, found out Ryuji has been controlled by a data-consuming Digimon named Arcadiamon, and were only in time to witness the merging of the real world with the Digital World, resulting in the digitisation of the world, and lots of Digimon appearing. He then told Chitose about how they retrieved the mental data of himself from the Eater Network with the help of his partner Ankylomon, while omitting the fact that Erika temporarily lost her memories in doing so.

"That's a lot to take in after just waking up." Chitose stated his opinion on the events. "I developed EDEN Syndrome in Under Zero? Ryuji used this 'Arcadiamon' against ZAXON. Digimon are appearing Tokyo because of one of Kishibe's plans, and now Ryuji is running amok with that Digimon of his? On top of that, he went after Fei and destroyed Hudie? Which is why you've moved the bases of operation into Erika's ward? You can't be serious, right? Everything you said... is the truth?'

"You can't be serious!" Wormmon cried, as it startled Chitose who turned around to face the worm Digimon. "Erika seemed much better after seeing your face. She fell asleep in no time."

Elma looked back to see what Wormmon meant, as Erika tucked herself back into bed, as she was sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face.

"Are you that Wormmon? The one that Erika found in Kowloon?" Chitose asked back. "A Digimon in the real world? Is this really happening?"

"Yep. Everything is true, Chitose." Gus responded back solemnly. "Both good and bad things have happened. With you back, we need your help in keeping Hudie together and assisting in dealing with Ryuji's rampage."

"So much has happened. But I see where your line of reasoning is going. You and Erika believe that Ryuji might be able to listen to reason as long as I come to help you, right?" Chitose sighed, after which he shook his head. "I don't think that's very likely. I couldn't get through to him in Under Zero. There's no way he'll listen to me."

"Even so... We have to try!" Sanae cried back. "Perhaps we need to use some force to beat some sense into him, so that he'll listen to you."

"Wow, you look like you've just woken up." Someone said, as they turned to the doorway, as they saw Fei come in, as her arm-sling was still on her.

"Fei!" Chitose exclaimed. ""I guess your injuries haven't healed completely yet?"

"I'm very much better than I look, if I could actually have my arm well enough to lose the sling." Fei responded back, lifting her slinged arm slightly. "But that's far from the point. The doctors are saying it's a miracle. They've never seen anyone cured of EDEN Syndrome. Yuuko would be glad. But how did you guys do it?"

"It's best we don't divulge it. Abusing the passage through the Eater Network would be bound to cause troubles sooner or later." Gus answered back.

"Keisuke and the others told me about what Ryuji did, and how you protected the little lady Erika." Chitose answered back. "Sorry about all of this."

"Heh. You pretty much died because of our carelessness, and the fact that we were manipulated without any knowledge of it." Fei answered back, before she smiled a little. "So I say we're even now."

"Hehe... I never thought that I'd hear you say that." Chitose replied back with a chuckle.

"There's still a problem that needs to be fixed. Your leader, Ryuji." Fei told everyone in the room.

"I take it you want us to deal with it?" Antonio asked. "Makes sense. Your hackers aren't capable enough to fight his superpowered demon Digimon, and Yuugo is busy, while you're still too injured to fight. But we would ask for you to let us take care of it ourselves even if it weren't the case. I mean, it's our fault for failing to take care of him back then, so we'll make sure he's stopped."

"I'm coming too! We'll keep trying to get through to Ryuji until Chitose is better!" Wormmon added.

"Heh, I guess you guys have your pride. Sorry, but I have to leave Ryuji to you guys." Chitose sighed, as he left the room. "I better get back to my own ward. After all, I struck myself fairly well, with one beautiful nurse to tend to my health and take care of me."

"You better take care. We've already had problems with you gone for a while, and I don't want to see you end up hurt again." Richard told Chitose, as he left with Fei.

Erika then woke up after a while, as she sat herself back up.

"Was Chitose okay?" Erika asked the group.

"Not so much. He won't be helping us deal with Ryuji any time soon. And we need to bring down Ryuji right now. With that Digimon of his, who evolves by cannibal methods involving Digimon and their data... The longer we wait, the worse things get." Richard answered back in a sincere manner. "We'll make sure that we at least delay him if we can find him."

"Before we go, Erika... Mind if I ask you something?" Keisuke questioned Erika back. "I felt like that when I touched those virtual AIs in your memory server, I felt like that it was somehow attached to the real world, as if it existed..."

"...I see. I remember places I've never actually been to. I have dreams of looking at sights I've never seen." Erika explained. "Maybe my memories have started leaking out into cyberspace and roaming around it. I mean to say what you saw might have been, well... 'me'. Look what has happened to Tokyo. The line between the virtual and real worlds is practically a blur. Whatever 'I' am was vague to begin with, and now it's losing even more clarity."

She then looked down at herself, with her hands out. "My body may exist in reality, but the memories driving it has been... digitised. What I am feeling now, my memories with everyone, it's all part of an accumulation of data. A dream that data shows me." Erika continued in a more solemn tone. "I think the real me may not even exist in reality anymore. I mean, which was 'real' for me to begin with? EDEN or this world here?"

Richard and Keisuke walked over, as they gripped each of her hands with their own.

"You're right here with us, Erika. And that's what matters." Keisuke said. "It doesn't matter if you are a avatar or a human right now, they're both real now."

"We won't abandon you no matter what, Erika." Richard also comforted her. "As long as you continue to exist and think, you are 'you', and nothing changes that for us."

"...Thank you... the both of you." Erika answered back, before she laid her head back on the bed, as the two of them released her hands. "I'll just rest for a little longer. Wormmon is coming with you, right?"

Richard nodded back, as Erika smiled. "I see... Take care of him for me out there." Erika answered back, before she then closed her eyes and fell to sleep quite quickly.

Keisuke then walked up his desktop, as he entered the Hudie site, checked the Bulletin Board for any signs of a attack from Ryuji recently, where they can find him at. However, there was no results.

"We haven't got any requests asking about where Ryuji is." Keisuke said. "Perhaps it's because the people are scared that as we are under his command, they think we'll do the same thing to them?"

"Reasonable thoughts, but stupid at this time." Richard sighed in frustration. "Let's check Akihabara. It's where the ruins of what used to be the internet cafe, Hudie has been."

The group then left the hospital, as they made their way to Akihabara quickly, where they found Ryuji in a road junction, having beaten a group of hackers, as their Digimon lay defeated nearby, while Arcadiamon was absorbing the data of one of them, as the victim faded into red pixels of data that flowed into Arcadiamon.

"There! It's Ryuji-" Wormmon was about to shout, before Reimu covered his mouth. "Mmph!"

"Quiet... We don't want to surprise him too early." Reimu told Wormmon in a hushed voice.

"Where's Yuugo?" Ryuji asked, as he lifted a scared hacker by the collar, glaring into their eyes with his own soulless ones. "If I can kill Yuugo, I'll avenge Chitose. What happened to Chitose is all his fault!"

Keisuke took the moment to walk to him, as Ryuji heard him come.

"Chitose is awake. We recently cured him of EDEN Syndrome." Keisuke told Ryuji calmly. "Now there's no reason for vengeance anymore. Everyone is back together, and you don't have to go around destroying lives of hackers anymore. Come back, Ryuji... We understand that you're hurting inside, but please, remember that we're Hudie! We're a team that's supposed to be together as a family!"

"He's awake?" Ryuji asked back softly, as he dropped the hacker, who immediately scurried as far away from the possessed hacker. Ryuji then chuckled. "Hahaha... You think that you can trick me that easily? No one's ever recovered from EDEN Syndrome. Everyone knows that. But he's the first in the history of the world? You must think I'm a fool, Keisuke!"

"That's because you don't want to believe it!" Elma cried out. "Chitose is really alive! Please, stop! There's no need to hurt any more people! We can help you! Erika did this for your sake, as your little sister."

"DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT ERIKA!" Ryuji roared back, frightened Elam, who fell to her knees, trembling in fear.

"HEY! Don't you talk to my friend like that! Even if you were once my pal, you don't deserve to say that to her!" Richard shouted back.

"Is that the best lie you come come up with to stop me, all of you? Did Yuugo put you all up for this? Have you... betrayed me?" Ryuji hissed.

"That's if there was anything to betray in the first place! You're the traitor, Ryuji! You fucking abandoned us when we were barely holding ourselves together!" Richard shouted back in anger. "Don't talk to me about loyalty when you're the one who fucked us all over!"

"Silence. I'll destroy anyone who takes my friends away, whoever they are! And that includes any friends who betray me!" Ryuji growled back, as Arcadiamon turned to them. "Are you just like Sanada? Do you want to take away the place I belong to? Then you will be the first to die then, Richard!"

"Try me!" Richard screamed back, as he summoned Kuro to fight. "You'll find that while you have been on your tantrum, I have been sharpening Kuro's experience for the battle! And that's not the only ones you're facing!"

Gus and Antonio summoned Sun and Bolt, who looked at Ryuji with pity.

"Ryuji...Never thought that I would have to fight the guy that helped me..." Kuro said. "But even if I owe you for giving me help back in the first battle I had as Richard's partner, I cannot defy his wishes. You have to be stopped, for the sake of what remains of your sanity."

"Ryuji... I'm sorry. Forgive us for what we will do." Sun apologised to the controlled hacker.

Arcadiamon opened up the battle, as he cast Texture Field, as it released a wave of black and white energy that was aimed at the group. Sun and Bolt managed to dodge it, while Kuro merely stood his ground and blocked it, confident that he would be able to withstand the attack. However, instead of damaging him, Kuro was suddenly turned into a pixelated version of himself, shocking Richard.

"Ah fuck, I forgot that Arcadiamon had that." Richard cursed, slapping his forehead in frustration, as Kuro could only let out a few digital cries in response. "Hold on, I'll get you back up soon."

Richard then activated his user interface, which Sun and Bolt engaged Arcadiamon, as Sun slashed at the large Digimon, and Bolt was firing off small missiles from afar in a attempt to weaken it. Arcadiamon retaliated quickly, by using Mach Rush, which it increased its own speed, as it tackled Sun with enough speed and force that Sun was sent flying into a building, as the impact caused a large crater to appear on the wall of the building. It then used Hell Crusher to blast Bolt with dark energy, as Bolt managed to dodge it, while Kuro was hit by its splash damage, being knocked back a little. He tried to attack back, but his attack merely caused Arcadiamon to only move a little from the attack.

"You forget that a hacker is always prepared for a situation, Ryuji." Richard said, as he used a Sprite Recover on Kuro, who immediately transformed back into his original form.

"Damn... I never thought that I would be so happy to be like this. Being all small and cramped is not a happy experience." Kuro swore, before he turned to Arcadiamon. "Ah, that's right. It's time for the actual payback. Have some of this. Supreme Cannon."

Kuro then aimed his wolf gauntlet at Arcadiamon, as a large blue beam fired from it, as it pierced through Arcadiamon's body, causing it to screech in pain. Taking the opportunity, Sun and Bolt both immediately use their special moves

"Firedrake Strike!" Sun called out, as he pointed his blade at Arcadiamon, who was stunned by Kuro's attack, as the golden frames of the sword parted away from the blade, which glowed golden, before he placed both of his hands on it, as a large wave of fire energy ran through the entire length of the blade, before it coalesced into a large beam of fire that seared Arcadiamon.

"Machinegun Destroyer!" Bolt cried, as he followed up the attack, as he fired off his weapons at a rate that paled in comparison to his Magna Missiles, as he fired off a dense curtains of missiles that struck at Arcadiamon, before he then charged up the cannons on the side of his body, as it fired off a large beam of ice that damaged Arcadiamon further, due to the biting cold being more painful and harmful from the burning heat it was suffering from before.

Arcadiamon, having been too severely injured to continue fighting, immediately rushed for Ryuji, swoopng him up with a hand, before ascending into the skies.

"Crap...! He's going to restore himself somewhere else!" Antonio said. "We have to chase after him!"

"But still... Ryuji... Did he really threaten to kill you, Richard?" Keisuke asked.

"It doesn't matter. It only means that Ryuji is falling deeper and deeper into Arcadiamon's influence. If we don't hurry, it's going to be near impossible to separate its mind from him." Richard responded back.

"I don't think so." A familiar voice, although a little strangely different, was heard behind them. "Digimon and humans affect each other, through all kinds of emotions. The distorted feelings plague the Digimon, making their power twisted, which in turn affects the avatar itself. It is a vicious cycle that I have seen many times."

Everyone turns around, as they come face-to-face with a red-eyed Arata, whose right arm seemed to look like it has been fused with Eater Data, as the black and white-patterned pulsated under the metal gauntlet that it was attached to.

"Oh, good god, what happened to you, dude!?" Antonio shrieked at the sight of Arata, especially his Eater arm. "You look like that you suddenly went a few notches up with the 'red-eyes villainy'!"

"Arata? I never thought I would see you again so soon..." Keisuke said. "But what happened to your arm?"

"Oh, this?" Arata said, as he raised his Eater arm for everyone to see, as he smirked. "I'll spare you the details, but I thought it was time for a slight enhancement. Which reminds me. I was warming up and 'ate' an Eater, then I saw you."

"Ate an Eater!? Arata, you're..." Gus was about to say, concerned if Arata is still okay as he is. "...Well, we've seen something impossible today, so it's fair that you would have one of your own."

"I see. Then I appreciate your trust." Arata nodded. "I see that you need some help dealing with Ryuji. May as well work out the kinks with my new powers in an actual battle. I'll be fine to fight as I am. I heard what he had say before, as he refuses to come to terms with his past like me. So I'll help in ending this right now for all of us."

"Then we're counting on your help, Arata." Richard answered back. "We'll cover your back as well."

"I guess you're still trying to help me at this point." Arata said. "Don't worry about me. I only eat Eaters, not humans. But Digimon however... I can' promise the same."

Wormmon was frightened by the words, as he immediately hid behind Keisuke's back, as Arata laughed heartily. "Haha... Just kidding. Let's go. I think that we know where he headed."

Arata then went on ahead of them, as Wormmon poked his head out carefully.

"Are you sure we can trust him? I never even saw anything like that in the Digital World." Wormmon asked Keisuke.

"It's the only choice. Best not to get on his bad side." Keisuke answered back. "He did EAT an Eater, so I'm worried that he might actually make it hard on us if we antagonised him all the sudden."

The group then chased after Ryuji, as they were forced to navigate a maze of Digimon, having to disable a trap that was forcing them to wind around the same place all the time no matter which path they took, only for Arata to dispel it with a wave of his arm.

Eventually, they found Ryuji again, as Arcadiamon was devouring a pile of Champion Digimon, turning them into its data one by one.

"That looks tasty." Arata joked. "How about sharing it with me, Ryuji?"

Ryuji then turned to Arata with a dark expression. "Sanada. So you were working with Sanada then." He growled.

"Don't try to play the big man. I made up my own mind to come." Arata responded back. "After all, I'm the one you want to destroy. Isn't that right, Ryuji?"

"Hmph. If you hadn't run away, Jude wouldn't be disbanded." Ryuji retorted back. "Chitose and I wouldn't have lost the only place where we really belonged! All this started when you betrayed US!"

"There's no changing what has happened. What do you want me to do!?" Arata spoke back, with his voice raised with anger. "

"EVERYONE LOOKED UP AT YOU!" Ryuji shouted back. "If you had stayed as the leader of Jude, we'd all still be together!"

"You've got it all wrong! Was I the only one responsible for Jude!?" Arata yelled. "Any team that would break up without me was never a team in the first place! If you valued the team that much, you could have kept it together! DON'T BLAME ME FOR SOMETHING YOU COULDN'T DO!"'

"If only!" Ryuji grit his teeth in sheer frustration. "I couldn't take your place! Jude revolved around you! Sanada, do you know the pain of being helpless!?"

"QUIT WHINING, YOU LOSER!" Arata screamed back.

"SANADA! SANADAAAAAAAAA!" Ryuji shouted his head off, as Arcadiamon transformed behind him.

It then turned itself into a even more bulkier humanoid monster, as its body was armoured with dark-grey armour, as its hands and feet had purple straight claws, as its wings duplicated into four, and the span of the wings being purple frayed digital boards. Its head also looked a lot more human, as the only thing not covered by its helmet is its mouth.

"Stay back. This is between me and him." Arata told everyone, as he brandished his Eater arm.

"No way! We're going to help save Ryuji as well!" Keisuke determinedly retorted back, as he summoned HerculesKabuterimon.

"You need our help as much as we need yours, Arata. Let us help, please!" Richard said, as he summoned Kuro to the battlefield.

"Heh, you're strange ones. You remind me of somebody." Arata smiled. "Alright then, let's end this."

Kuro immediately went forward, as he attacked by swinging his gauntlet-linked blade, as he slashed at Arcadiamon, who managed to take little damage from it, before HerculesKabuterimon followed up with a tackle, which knocked it back a little more.

"You're mine!" Arata cried, as he reached his Eater arm back, as it grew in size. "BEGONE!"

He then threw it forward, as the large fingers twisted themselves into Eater Tentacles, as they penetrated Arcadiamon's defence, weakening it greatly.

The Arcadiamon responds by gathering its hands in front of it, as a large shining orb of energy appeared in front of it, before it then slowly dissolved into binary data digits, before it then let out a massive shot with white binary numbers flowing from it, as it hit Arata, flooring him, as he could barely stand up.

"Crap... That attacks looks like it's not going to leave you with anything but a scratch, Kuro..." Richard cursed, seeing the effects of the special move, Dot Matrix, on Arata. "Don't overextend your attacks. Make sure you're fast enough to dodge that attack when it comes for you. Same goes for you, Keisuke! It won't make this fight as easy it was before!"

"Got it!" Keisuke cried, as he relayed the orders to his partner Digimon as well.

Kuro and HerculesKabuterimon lessened their offensive efforts, as they were focused on dodging the attacks from Arcadiamon, especially when it unleashes Dot Matrix, as Arata managed to knock off its aim on the other two Digimon with attacks of his own. Eventually, through a battle that was the very definition of a 'death of a thousand cuts', due to how the group were forced to use basic attacks to keep their vulnerability at the minimum, Arcadiamon was forced to land on the ground, defeated and exhausted. At his Digimon's defeat, Ryuji fell to a knee, as everyone withdrew their Digimon into their Digivices, the battle over and done with.

"Sanada..." Ryuji growled. "Why did you abandon Jude? If you had stayed, the team would still be together. Everyone was drawn to you. I was no good. You were the only one who could do it. Why did you just leave without saying why? Answer me!"

"It wasn't that I didn't say why. It was that I couldn't." Arata answered back, shaking his head in regret. "At that time, I couldn't explain why I didn't want to carry on with the team anymore. But I can say now... because I've remembered everything. The truth is, when I was a kid, I wasn't able to protect my friend. Under Zero wasn't the first time I have lost someone. I was never qualified to lead anyone. But I would have forgotten what happened. That's what got our Jude friends killed. What I went through when you lost our friends in Under Zero all came flooding back. Not the memory, but the feeling, the feeling of loss. That's why I left Jude, before I could make the same mistake again. I had to get away, otherwise you would try to make me leader again. That's why I left Jude. Are you satisfied now?"

Ryuji was left looking at the ground, as he was struck with emotion from Arata's concerns. "Sanada..." He whispered.

"You say you couldn't have done it. But you would make an excellent leader. Isn't Hudie a great team?" Arata asked back with a smile, before he then raised his Eater arm. "From now on, I'm going to help all the friends I failed so long ago. Otherwise I'm nothing. I can't even face you."

"...You think you can do this, after running away for so long!?" Ryuji hissed back, as tears leaked from his eyes. "Jude is long gone."

"That's right. I'm going to retake the place where I belong. Goodbye, Ryuji." Arata responded back, as he walked away. "I've done my part. Now do what you want."

With those words, Arata continued to walk, as he left the group with a silent Ryuji.

"Ryuji... Everyone has been waiting for you." Keisuke told his fallen leader. "It's all over now."

"How can I go back... after everything I have done? To all of you?" Ryuji answered back in a guilt-filled tone. "Either as the leader of Hudie, or as Erika's brother... I've..."

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself." Chitose said, as he appeared being held up by Matayoshi.

"Chitose!" Ryuji cried.

"I asked Matayoshi to get me out of the hospital. I bet it's chaos over there right now, hehe." Chitose chuckled.

"Kidnapped by the police. Unbelievable." Matayoshi sighed.

"Chitose, you're... really okay.' Ryuji replied back. "So what Keisuke said... was true?"

"Ryuji... You..." Chitose softly said, as he walked towards Wormmon.

He then grabbed Wormmon by the head, as the Digimon immediately began to struggle from Chitose's strong grip, as the hacker's expression changed completely into one of fury.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH TROUBLE YOU'VE CAUSED FOR HOW MANY PEOPLE!?" Chitose screamed in pure fury, as he then reeled back into a pitcher's position, before he threw the crying Wormmon at Ryuji at the speed of a fastball, right at Ryuji's head.

Ryuji was immediately floored by the flying Digimon, as their heads collided, as Ryuji was knocked to the ground with a loud grunt of pain, as yellow stars shone into existence from the comical force of the impact, as Richard and Sanae's jaws dropped open seeing the strange visual effect, as Keisue was fairly surprised by it as well.

"That was one hell of a ball..." Sanae blurted out in awe.

"No shit, Agatha...!" Richard exclaimed.

Wormmon screamed, as he flew back into the sky, as Keisuke managed to catch him in time, as the frightened Wormmon immediately clung back onto the safety of his back.

Ryuji, who was trying to get back up from the massive hit on the head, was clutching his head with hisses of pain under his breath.

"Running amok in EDEN and then Tokyo!? What were you thinking!? You IDIOT! Hackers are outlaws, but surely they have limits! And attacking ZAXON!? How do you expect us to deal with Hudie now!?" Chitose rambled on, as he was getting faster and angrier with each word."In hacking, reputation is everything! Don't you understand that!? You had a internet cafe to run! What did you expect to gain by destroying everything!? And how much will the repairs cost, if there is anything to fix!? Damage caused by a Digimon!? Do you expect the insurance company to accept that!? And because of you, the waitress I like lost her job! And as for using Digimon in Tokyo! Come on! You really are a MORON! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Chitose then stopped screaming, as everyone was surprised that Chitose said all that in one breath, and he held that scream for so long.

"Woah... Big lungs you have there..." Antonio spoke with some envy in his voice. "I wish I had them..."

"Phew! I think that's all for now." Chitose huffed, before he calmed down. "Ryuji, you're okay now, so get it together. No need to say anything. Just come back. There are people who are waiting for you, like us here. Just look at Richard. By the sounds of what I heard, he literally went ballistic when you did all of this, and was after you. He even slugged you hard on the face, if I recall. So come on, before he has to slug you again to get your senses back."

"Chtiose... you guys..." Ryuji said, before he then bowed his head. "I..."

Before they could do anything, Arcadiamon suddenly got up, as it grabbed Ryuji forcefully, as everyone was shocked.

"Arcadiamon!?" Wormmon cried.

"It's still up!" Richard said. "Ryuji, hang on!"

"Chitose! Keisuke! Richard! All of you!" Ryuji cried, as he was squirming in the Digimon's grasp. "I... AARRRGGGHHHH!"

Ryuji then was absorbed into Arcadiamon, but in a blue light instead of a red stream of data, before the Digimon immediately flew away.

"No... This can't be..." Chitose spoke in despair, as he fell on his knees, before Reimu went over to him, and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Reimu...?"

"Get yourself together!" Reimu shouted at him. "There's no time to be mourning the events! We might still have a chance to save him. But for now, we need to head back to the Central Hospital, before you end up hurt more than before!"

"...Alright. I'll got back." Chitose said, as he stood back up, as he slung himself over Matayoshi's shoulders.

They then returned to Erika's ward, as Keisuke was the one to tell Erika about what has happened.

"I see. So my brother was absorbed into Arcadiamon, just after he finally come back to his senses." Erika recounted what Keisuke told Richard. "And you met Arata who helped you, right?"

"Sorry, we didn't make it in time." Chitose spoke in a apologetic tone.

"It wasn't your fault, nor the others." Erika stated. "No one could have stopped the Arcadiamon. At least defeating it allowed Ryuji to shake free of its influence. I'll go with you all next time. We'll save my brother together."

"But we don't know where the Arcadiamon is, and it hasn't showed up on Fei's intelligence network." Chitose said.

"It doesn't matter. I have this." Erika stated, before she then conjured up a few small spherical drones with white cracked armour, and a large red iris.

"Those... What are those!?" Keisuke asked.

"It won't attack us. These are my Eater Bits." Erika answered back. "When I hacked into that Eater for its permissions back in the Eater Network, I made sure to extract as much information inside of it as possible. This is a new type of Eater that I programmed based on that information. If I can deploy them in Tokyo, they will find Arcadiamon for us."

"You should be sleeping! I can't believe you've been doing that! You need to rest, with your body like this!" Chitose scolded Erika.

"It's the only way to save my brother. Give me some time. I'll be ready soon." Erika responded back, unfazed by Chitose's words.

"I'm worried about you too, Erika." Wormmon also complained. "You need treatment."

"No! I need to find my brother first. I still need to adjust the bits, and only I can do-" Erika tried to say, before Richard performed a nerve-pinch on Erika's neck, which caused her to slip into unconsciousness. "...Unnnh..."

"There, that should keep her asleep for a while, until her treatment is done for this period." Richard sighed, turning to Chitose. "This is the best way to keep her asleep. She won't be waking up until her body says she's ready to keep working. In that case, it will be a while with her fragile health."

"I'll deploy the Eater bits. With her memories, they should listen to me as well." Wormmon said, as he immediately took control of the Eater spheres, as they flew out of the hospital through the ward's window.

"I know now might not be the best time..." Chitose said, turning to the group. "But I want to ask if you guys can check the Bulletin Boards for any recent cases to complete. We need to keep Hudie in good shape by keeping our services open, before Ryuji comes back after we defeated Arcadiamon... hopefully."

"Got that. We'll get to it right away-" Richard was about to say, before Richard's digivice let out a message alert chime.

Richard was surprised, as the only message he received that were only his own, and not sent to anyone else as well, were from Mirei, from the situation involving Kuro's Digivolution.

"Give me a moment." Richard said, as he headed out, before he went to a private place to read the message addressed to him. When he read the sender's name, he was surprised, to say the least.

' **Hey, this is Richard, right? If you're wondering how I got this Digivice, I got the address from Mirei. She seems to be interested in the two of us meeting again. Anyway, can you and Hudie meet me in Galacta Park in Kowloon? There's something that I want to talk to you guys about. Bring Chitose as well, if you could -David** ' The message read.

Richard was tempted to erase the message, since a part of his mind did not appreciate meeting with the hero again, since he swore last time that both of them are to stay their separate ways, as his finger hovered above the delete message button. However, before he could move it down, he was countered by another of his emotions, his pride, who believed that David was going to challenge Richard again, and with Kuro as a Ultra, the battle is as good as won, and it'll wipe the stain of defeat from the last time they battled, making it a even score between them. Besides, if he had matters with Chitose, who's to deny him? Perhaps... He might be able to see something interesting.

Richard shelved the message, as he headed back into the ward.

"Well, I got some good news. We have something to take our minds off." Richard said to everyone. "Someone is interested in meeting us in Galacta Park. It's from a certain someone that we're very acquainted with, Keisuke."

Gus knew who Richard was talking about, as he merely remained silent, as Richard got everyone to come over where he was, as Keisuke sat down onto his desktop, as they all logged into EDEN, heading for Kowloon's Galacta Park, to meet David and his group once again.


	27. Chapter 26: David and Richard, Again

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 26: David and Richard, Again

* * *

 _In Galacta Park..._

Richard, Keisuke, Chitose and the others arrive at Galacta Park, the playground where they first met Mirei's cat, as they found David waiting for them, without his friends.

"Thanks for coming." David said, nodding a little, as he turned to Keisuke. "You're Keisuke Amazawa, are you?"

"Yeah, I am. You're the person that helped Richard and the others back in Under Zero, right?" Keisuke asked back. "I remember that you were all using the same stuff as Richard and his group was in defeating the Eaters. I like to thank you from the bottom of my heart, for helping us back then."

Chitose then saw David, as his expression was filled with shock, as he was surprised to see David. "...David?" He asked.

"Chitose... It's been a long time. About what happened to Under Zero..."" David stated, as his expression turned a little regretful, as he frowned deeply. "I... I just wanted to apologise to the members of Hudie. I remember that you also had Erika and Ryuji, but I can understand if they didn't want to come here. The entire incident was a total nightmare, one that I shouldn't have let happened, because of my negligence. I should have known things were going wrong ever since Sachiko was taken by the Eaters. You ended up being hit by EDEN Syndrome, and having to be rescued by your own teammates, while Ryuji has literally fallen into despair. Last I heard from Arata... He was being possessed."

He then sighed deeply. "I guess I really have failed as being Tokyo's champion and defender, did I?" David asked them all. "I don't care what you say, just tell me what you believe in. I've let all of this happen behind my back, and yet I still feel so powerless to make such changes."

Richard remained silent, although he merely solemnly nodded, as he could sympathise to how David feels. Chitose, however, walked over to David, as he gently pulled David's head up.

"No... I never lost my belief in you." Chitose answered back with a sincere and honest tone, as he shook his head with some doubt. "From what I heard, you and Nokia have been engaged in your own personal matters. Sachiko's restoration, and dealing with the influx of Digimon that is occuring."

"But... even so, I was so caught up in everything that I never got to check on you guys, and when you really needed me, everything fell apart for you all." David responded back.

"Perhaps, but it was thanks to Keisuke, Richard, and the others that we were able to preserve until we could resolve our problems." Chitose replied with a gentle smile. "You, Richard and Keisuke are both equally important in helping us. You helped us for so long in the past, while in the present, Richard and Keisuke took over your duties of ensuring Hudie remains a paragon of the hacker community. Plus, I understand that you would have to choose your own closest companions over us, and I cannot blame you for that. Ryuji did the same thing, although it was from a twisted circumstance that led to what he was up until a few moments ago."

"But aren't you all my friends too, even if you weren't as important? No matter who you are, every friend is a priority to me, and I will not stand to fail them like I did." David asked back, as he shook his head.

"I guess, but even so, that still doesn't mean that you should be agonising all over this." Chitose scolded David with a slightly harsh tone. "Look at you now, you're now the leader of a group who is meant to take care of the entire multiverse right now. You're a leader of heroes, so I want you to act like one. Your team would not like to see you like this, so cheer up, and stop being so depressed! All you can do is move forward on the path you have chosen. Our paths have separated ever since you left Tokyo, but even so, that doesn't mean that we have forgotten each other. What I owe you, I still remember clearly."

"Chitose... I... I...!" David choked, as he was touched by Chitose's words.

Richard took the moment to come up, as he walked towards the two.

"Alright, let's just pause the conversation for the moment. Although I hate to ruin a perfectly deserving reunion between you two..." Richard said in a tone that is politely intrustive as possible. "But what you're talking about has raised a lot more questions in my head, and now one is burning inside of it so much that I can't bear to not ask it. What exactly is your relation with him, Chitose? I never heard that you knew David and the others before."

"Richard... I..." Chitose said, before he then cleared his throat. "Well, I'll put it this way. David and I used to be digital pen-pals, albeit with a lot more supporting and face-to-face meetings. You see, when Jude fell apart, it really demoralised Ryuji and myself. I was the more affected of the two, as I literally lost the profession that I dedicated myself fully to. It wasn't easy to recover from that, and it left me with a nasty emotional scar on my heart."

"Over time, I began to lose my motivation to be a hacker." Chitose continued. "That is, until I met David. We actually met during the time before Hudie was created, meeting in K-Cafe. He and I got to know each other, as we discussed our lives. Over time, we got more and more close to each other, as my interal sorrow and dark secrets spilled out before him. After he heard that I was demoralised by Jude's disbanding, he did everything to cheer me up and motivate me to be a tried and true hacker again. I couldn't list every single thing he has done for me, such as showing me a lot of wonderful sights in EDEN, and giving me encouraging words. Over time, I regained my former personality, and I was a hacker again. Even with that job done, we still contacted each other from time to time. That was... until David left Tokyo to embark on his own journey."

"As I heard of his exploits, I am reminded about what he has done for me." Chitose concluded his recap of his relationship with David. "I wished that one day, he and I could meet again, so that we could talk about our entire lives and things we have seen and experienced, just like good old times. And I finally have had that day, but I wished that it wouldn't have to be in these problematic times..."

Richard nodded in response. "I see. So that is why you wanted to meet Chitose so much, David..." Richard hummed, before he thought to himself. _'So David's a type of Canon Foreigner. This seems quite... interestingly amusing when I look at it this way._ '

Richard then opened his mouth to speak again. "By the way, I've been wondering about a few things." Richard asked back. "Strangely, I haven't been able to see any cases that involved the Royal Knights. You and I both know what and who they are, David. So tell me, what happened?"

"Simple, we've been trying to save the Royal Knights. All of them, in fact." David answered back.

"Even Craniamon, Crusadermon, and all the other fanatic ones? Gankoomon is fine as long as you prove worthy, Omnimon is a obvious choice, and UlforceVeeDramon might be kind enough to help you. But how do you expect to do that? The former two would never join you even if they were to die." Richard asked back with a slightly curious tone. "Why the sudden urge to gather all the Royal Knights? Do you not know what threats you could encounter in taking this road to the future?"

"Risking one's life is not that uncommon in my line of work. Heck, I've even lost a few comrades myself already." David responded back with a determined tone, as he looked back into Richard's eyes with some fire in his own. "But I do know one thing, they wouldn't want to see me in tears over any regrets I might have. I will walk this path to the end, and almost nothing will deter me or sway me from it."

Richard smirked a little at hearing David's declaration, before he quickly wiped it off before David could confirm what he saw on his face. "That so...? Then I won't judge you for what you will do. You must have a plan to deal with this, and I only hope that it's one that will not cause consequences." He replied back, crossing his arms. "Still, the reason?"

"Well... The real reason is because they were Hope's allies once." I don't know much of the details, since it was long before I started journeying across worlds, but..." Basically, after the Dimensional Heroes' second trip to Kadic, the Seven Great Demon Lords were resurrected. I went through a redux of it. A re-telling, if you will." David explained. "Anyway, Hope was on his own with another hero group back then. They journeyed across various worlds, and with the help of the Royal Knights, defeated the Demon Lords one by one. Right. During the final battle at Ylisse, not only was Grima awakened, but Ogudomon as well. To prevent the the crisis from occurring again, the Royal Knights sealed themselves away with Ogudomon. I'm still wrapping my head around this one, but from what we found out right before these events, the All Science Go Corporation tasked someone with gathering data bits of the Royal Knights. Whatever they were planning with them, it worked, because they're alive and kicking again."

"I know most of the terms that you must have referred to, although I doubt by 'Seven Great Demon Lords', I doubt it's just the Digimon themselves. Kadic, I know, as a certain academy. Grima and Ylisse are terms I am familiar with as well." Richard said. "Hope, I might have to guess is one of the leaders of the groups that you are accompanied with. I'll guess it's the guy with the brown-hair with blue bangs. But Dimensional Heroes? All Science Go Corporation? THe former is a ally, and the latter is a enemy by the tone of your mentioning of their names."

"The Dimensional Heroes are a multiversal group like ours. And yeah, Hope is the one you just described." David answered back. "He's the leader of the Shining Hope Squadron, and Ace is the only other leader involved, as the leader of the Spirit Force. I myself am the leader of the Brave Adventurers, so that makes the four of us sort of allied teams working on the same goals. The All Science Go Corporation... Let's just say that they're utter scumbags who care little about anything other than knowledge, and they will obtain it at any cost of life or freedom."

Richard merely clicked his tongue, as he cursed himself inside his thoughts. ' _Fuck. One multiversal team is already troublesome enough, considering they would be at least equal to power compared to us in a overall comparison, but four of them!? And a shit-fuck ton of villainous teams who arise time to time!? I really need to watch my actions around this place... If I let them interfere too much, then it'll result in a unwinnable situation for all of us. And I won't let that happen. I WON'T. If I have to disarm every single of those teams, and crush every villain team or opposing neutral-faction team in our way, then I will make sure I succeed. For everyone's sake..._ '

"Fair enough." He answered back. "I'll be fine knowing that much. But I take it that you aren't merely here to just tell us all of this, are you?"

"Read my mind there." David shrugged. "I want to get to the main reason for this request. Chitose... I want you to fight me."

"Me? But if you wanted that, why did you want Richard to come as well?" Chitose asked. "You did say all of Hudie, didn't you? And you don't have a Digivice. How will you be able to summon your Digimon?"

"Don't worry about that. Mirei gave me a spare Digivice just for the occasion." David said, as he produced a ice-blue Digivice. "As for your question, I think Richard and Gus might answer that for you."

"What do you mean-?" Chitose was about to ask, before he noticed Gus and Richard were pulling out their Digivices.

"I haven't paid you back for the loss back then." Richard answered back with a smirk. "And as someone who doesn't like to lose without a rematch, I would like to see if your skill and luck can hold for a second round. This time, Kuro is not going to be so easily beaten as before. Do your worst, I like to see if you can handle a real challenge this time."

"I like to see you try." David answered back, as he released Gatomon, CannonBeemon and Growlmon. "What's it going to be? I've got a Armour-Level Digimon, and two Ultimate-levels as well. Even if have a Mega, it's still going to be a tough fight for you. Since the others are dealing with another matter while I have come to meet you, I took some of the team's Digimon for this battle.

He then Digivolved his Digimon, as Gatomon turned into Neferetimon, and Growlmon turned into WarGrowlmon, as Richard merely clapped his hands.

"So you know your Digivolution levels well." Richard answered back. "But let me tell you this, what Digivolution-level do you believe the likes of Omnimon are in?"

"Mega-Level apparently!" David answered back hastily. "What, you got something better than that?"

"Bad luck, they're in a entirely new level." Richard chuckled evilly. "Let's show you what a Ultra-Level Digimon is, shall we?"

Richard then summoned Kuro, as the Omnimon Zwart glared at David.

"Ah, it's you." Kuro spoke in a deep tone. "I see that I'm going to get a rematch? Well, bring it on, it's going to take more than some gun-loaded bunny to take me down this time."

"What the...!? That looks like Omnimon... But it looks like it's a dark version of him!" David exclaimed.

"Meet Omnimon Zwart, the dark-side twin of the light-side Omnimon." Richard smirked. "He's a real tanker, in both magical and physical sense. Unless you got high-level moves to bust through it, you're going to be in for a world of pain. Chitose, since it wouldn't be fair for a Ultra to fight three Ultimates, assuming the Armour-level Nefertimon is a Ultimate-level Equivalent, you may as well back them up with a Champion-level. Not that it will make the battle any less even."

"...Fine." Chitose answered back, as he then summoned Ankylomon to fight for David's side. "But go easy on it."

"Sorry, no can do." Richard said in a jovial tone. "It's a real battle, so the kiddy gloves are off. Besides, they can still win, given that their skill matches their power. Anyway, ready to see the age-long question of a group of Ultimates being able to topple mostly any Digimon level?"

"We'll see." David said, before turning to Chitose with a smile. "Thank you, Chitose. Now then, to battle!"

"I'll take that as a sign of agreement." Richard nodded. "We'll see what gets through, Kuro's power and defence, or your coordination and teamwork. Kuro, use Transcendent Sword."

Kuro immediately obeyed, as he swung his blade in a massive arc, as the blade glowed with blue flames, which singed the wounds of the opposing Digimon, damaging them greatly.

"Tch, don't underestimate our Digimon!" David shouted back. "Cannonbeemon! Use Nitro Stinger! Then, Wargrowlmon, Use Atomic Blaster. Neferetimon, follow up with Rosetta Stone!"

The Digimon received their orders, as Cannonbeemon charged up a large azure-blue orb on the tip of its stinger, before it fired at Kuro in a small narrow beam, who tried to block it, but the beam penetrated through his guard and damaged him, causing him to fall back slightly from the impact, making him vulnerable. Wargrowlmon immediately took opportunity on it, as he fired off twin searing beams of fire at Kuro, which caused the Ultra-Level Digimon to be knocked further back. Neferetimon immediately followed up by causing a series of stone tablets to leviate and smash into Kuro, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Ankylomon! Jump and Tail Hammer at Kuro on the ground, before he gets up!" Chitose ordered his partner, who immediately leapt into the air, as he aimed his large clubbed tail towards Kuro, who barely managed to negate the damage of the attack by a mere split-second using his segmented back-shield to absorb the impact.

"Well, aren't you quite the team-player." Richard hummed. "But I see to it that you're not getting another chance to pull that deadly combo onto Kuro. Kuro, Supreme Cannon Wargrowlmon, let's take out a player, shall we?"

Kuro immediately raised his wolf-gauntlet at WarGrowlmon, before the laser cannon emerged from it, as it fired a blue laser that pierced through Wargrowlmon, as its weakness was struck, and it was defeated in a single blow.

"What...!?" David cried, seeing Wargrowlmon be defeated so easily.

"Ah... Too bad you forget that Kuro has access to a Water-type move, and his ability boosts it. Even if it wasn't his weakness..." Richard remarked. "It pierces magical resistance as a magical attack, so it would at least bring him to critical health. Still, that's one down, three more to go."

"Cannonbeemon! Use Nitro Stinger again! Neferetimon, use Heal on Cannonbeemon." David relayed his order to the Digimon.

Cannonbeemon fired its defence-piercing beam at Kuro, although this time, the Omnimon Zwart dodged to the side at the last moment to evade the attack. Cannonbeemon's injuries were slightly restored by a bathing green glow from Neferitimon. Chitose's Ankylomon merely attacked Kuro with a simple swing of its legs, which Kuro easily blocked with his shield.

"Trying to heal, eh?" Richard questioned. "Luckily for you, Nefertimon's Vaccine, so she gets to live a little longer than a few turns. But that still doesn't mean that I'll force you to heal again and again, while she still has to take damage. Kuro, Transcendent Sword, and repeat that command until you either run out of stamina or energy to use it, or Neferetimon is downed without doubt."

Kuro acknowledged the command, as he immediately went for another round of his multi-target special move, as it damaged all of David's Digimon and Chitose's partner quite strongly.

"You... All I have to do is beat your Kuro before he brings down Neferetimon, right?" David said. "Cannonbeemon! Keep trying to fire off Nitro Stinger, it's our best shot of bypassing his defences for following attacks. Neferetimon, try to spread your Heals between all of your allies. If you die or run out of energy, we won't have any more healing to keep the rest of you alive! Chitose... Just try to have Ankylomon defend for the moment, so that we can ensure that Cannonbeemon and Neferetimon is able to keep healing themselves, while you aren't in danger of being hurt."

"If that's what you want, David... I don't know how this is going to go. On one hand, there's only so much Kuro can do without items or support from Richard other than his orders." Chitose replied back. "But on the other hand, he's burning all of our Digimon quite hard, and we could potentially lose before he even resorts to normal attacks."

"Fair deduction, Chitose." Richard complimented his current opponent. "It could go either way. Only way to tell is see if the orders can manage to succeed."

From that point on, the battle became a war of attrition for damage, as Kuro was using Transcendent Sword to spread the damage amongst all of his opponents, while Cannonbeemon is repeatedly using Nitro Stinger to try to damage Kuro severely through his own defences. Neferetimon kept on healing herself and Cannonbeemon, and much less occasionally, Ankylomon, who kept on defending. Eventually the energy of the fighters eventually depleted, as Kuro resorted to using his blade to swing at them, as he eventually took down Cannonbeemon, who kept on firing on him, and then Neferetimon, which swiped at him rapidly with her claws.

When the battle was down to Chitose and Richard's Digimon, Kuro was at the verge of defeat, as Ankylomon was also not spared from damage, as he was still injured quite well despite Neferetimon's attempt to heal him.

"So it's a final gamble, huh?" Richard asked Chitose. "It all comes down to the final blow. Whoever falls first, will be the loser. And they will both fall from one hit from each other. So it's a matter of accuracy and speed here."

"Right... I can only hope that victory would be ours..." Chitose muttered. "Sorry, Richard, but my Ankylomon won't give up and be defeated that easily."

"Neither will, Kuro. But words are cheap. Let's see how this ends." Richard nodded.

Kuro and Ankylomon charged up their respective attacks, as Kuro slid his blade back, while Ankylomon's tail was gaining momentum from swinging in alternate directions, as they waited for the right moment to attack. Everyone was glued to the scene, as Sanae was actually sweating at how close and tense the battle was.

When one of her sweat-drops hit the ground in a near-silent 'plop', both of the Digimon roared, as they charged at each other, launching their final attacks. As they were hit by their opposing attacks, they stumbled a little, as they struggled to remain standing despite the last of their strength fading. Before soon, Ankylomon fell onto its belly, before Kuro could fall onto his knees.

"Crap... That was actually so close that it would have been counted a draw..." Richard remarked about the battle they just saw. "Well, a win is a win. Now that it's a win each, David and I are even now. Now I don't have to go after you anymore, and the matter is all settled. You did have Chitose fight, but with you. Isn't that better than fighting him? Fighting together is a much better way to represent the bond between you, in my opinion."

"Yeah..." David said. "I guess that would make sense. You've also gotten a lot stronger... To help bring down the Digimon of one of your teammates with your own... Especially when it is so powerful that even a battle of 4 vs 1 resulted in the closest loss I have ever seen. I think that I can leave Tokyo in your hands without any regrets."

"Anyway, now that the main event is out of the way." Richard said, as everyone withdrew their defeated Digimon to recover in their Digivices. "What's with you leaving Tokyo in Chitose's hands? Sure, he's proven himself worthy, but aren't you going to stay for your friend?"

"I have to go after all of this solved." David answered back. "I bet you would be doing the same. Anyway, Chitose. What do you say?"

"You bet you can. Never underestimate the spirit of Tokyo." Chitose smiled back. "I didn't become the second-in-command of Hudie, just so that I could shirk taking care of matters for you in your stead, right? It's nothing that you should worry. I've got this."

"Thank you, Chitose." David nodded, before he then turned around to leave.

"Hey, nothing about calling me an ass for what I said earlier in this world?" Richard asked back. "I thought that you didn't like me before. But I guess Under Zero softened you up a little, when we kicked some Eaters right back where they come from."

"Maybe so. Maybe so." David answered back. "I wish that you will be able to safety bring an end to all of these things on your side of things."

Richard remained silent, before he then smiled. "Same goes to you, David, you little idealistic bastard. If you're going to stick to your guns, you better not prove me wrong there." Richard jokingly said, as he headed for the exit. "Hey. If you're done gawking at the epic battle that you have just witnessed, we're leaving. David needs to get back to his friends, and so do we. We have a certain silver-haired hot-headed leader to save, right?"

"Yeah... You're right." Keisuke said. "But still... I never thought I would see Kuro fight to this level."

"Eh, Kuro's been fighting seriously, because this pushed him to his limits." Richard casually answered back. "Anyway, see ya."

Everyone then left Galacta Park, as they went their separate ways.


	28. Chapter 27: Susanoomon and Erika's Past

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 27: Susanoomon and Erika's Past

* * *

 _In the real world, in Tokyo Central Hospital..._

Richard returned back to the real world with Keisuke and the others, as they recently came back from their meeting with David, as they found themselves back in Erika's words.

"Well, I guess that we all learnt a new thing today." Richard stated with a simple tone. "Now that's all done, let's go and tell Erika that we're ready to find Arcadiamon and bring Ryuji back."

He then turned around, as he was going to say something to Erika. "Hey Erika, I think you've rested enough. Let's get cracking with those shiny Eater Bits of yours and-"

Before he could finish his sentence, he realised that Erika wasn't on her bed, and she left for quite a while, from how the blanket was folded and her pillow stacked on top of it.

"Huh. Must be having her treatment." Richard said, as he headed out of the ward, as they went for the treatment room, where they found a worried Wormmon watching Erika being treated.

"Erika..." Wormmon said.

"Hey Wormmon, when is Erika's treatment is going to done?" Richard asked the partnered Digimon. "We're ready to bring down Arcadiamon once and for all."

"Hey! Listen! Erika did something stupid while I was not looking!" Wormmon cried to them, as if he knew that the group were going to come to where they were. "She..."

"She did what?" Gus asked. "By the sounds of it, it's something that could endanger her health?"

Before they could continue the conversation, the treatment was completed, as Erika walked out of the room, as she was rubbing her forehead, letting out a quiet groan.

"Erika? Are you okay?" Wormmon asked frantically, as he crawled towards her at full speed.

"Yeah. I'm okay. My body feels so light." Erika responded back.

"Much lighter than before?" Antonio questioned with a bit of suspicion. "That was not the normal treatment, wasn't it?"

"Erika made the doctor give her a really strong prescription. It has a long name. I can't remember what it is, but it makes the symptoms disappear for a while, but there's no way to know when they'll come back!" Wormmon exclaimed with worry.

"So she's a walking unstable time bomb with her symptoms?" Richard asked back, before he clicked his tongue. "And we don't know when it will occur, and what will happen if it does..."

"You insisted I get treatment, Wormmon." Erika replied back. "That's exactly what I've done. You can't complain. I did it to save my brother. I was no use to him before, but this time... I will save him, no matter what!"

"Erika..." Wormmon lifted his head with a expression of belief in his partner.

"I'm quite impressed to see you this determined, Erika." Reimu said. "Don't worry, we'll make sure that you'll be able to help us."

"Thank you, Reimu, all of you." Erika thanked them all. "The Eater Bits have finally found Arcadiamon, didn't they, Wormmon? Tell me where it is."

Wormmon hesitated for a moment, before he bowed his head. "I can't..." He spoke in a strained voice. "If I tell you, you'll go."

"Yeah, that's exactly why I made the bits." Erika answered back. "So that I can ensure that I play a part in saving my brother from Arcadiamon."

"No! Stay in the hospital!" Wormmon cried. "Chitose can't go yet either! Keisuke, Richard and the others, as well as myself will go and get Arcadiamon!"

"But you can't fight or control the bits, Wormmon. How will you be able to help then?" Erika asked back in a more strict tone.

"I can! I'm a hacker! I can make it possible with your memories!" Wormmon desperately shouted to try and persuade Erika.

"Wormmon! You know that you aren't as proficient yet! If you try controlling them yourself, who knows what might happen-" Erika scolded Wormmon.

"Don't be stupid! What if you end up being attacked like in the Eater Network! I don't want you to end up hurt because of all of this!" Wormmon yelled back with a angry tone. "If you hurt yourself, then what am I supposed to do? I won't stop crying if anything happens to you!"

Wormmon then turned away, as his expression turned sad. "I know from seeing your memories. Losing your family is really sad..." Wormmon continued. "So I can't lose you... Or anyone..."

"...Then you understand why I want to save my brother." Erika answered back solemnly. "This is the only thing I can do for him, after having to let him take care of me for so long... So please, Wormmon... tell me."

Wormmon only shook his head, as Erika frowned deeply. "Whatever... I'll just find another way." Erika sighed. "Are you coming, all of you?"

"...We're going with you, Erika. If Wormmon won't tell you what the Eater Bits found..." Sanae said. "We'll help you regardless of the method you choose."

Richard and the group then turned to leave, before Wormmon was unable to stop himself from hiding the location as a secret.

"Fine! It's on the bridge to Odaiba!" Wormmon shouted out, before he then turned to Erika with a frustrated expression. "Erika, you idiot! You're so stupid! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"

As Erika watched Wormmon tumble and twist in his own tantrum, Erika merely looked at Wormmon with pity-filled eyes, before Wormmon stopped rolling around.

"...But I love you too." Wormmon muttered. "I love you, but I hate you. And I hate you but I love you. It doesn't make sense and I don't know what it means. This must be a human feeling. I'm coming too. You're just too stubborn for me to let you go without me."

"You're the one being stubborn." Erika responded back.

"No, you're way more stubborn than me? You agree with me, don't you, Keisuke?" Wormmon asked the hacker boy.

"I think you're both stubborn in your own way, but that's not truly bad as it seems." Keisuke stated his opinion.

"Hehehe... I feel like I can do anything now." Erika chuckled. "Let's go! This time we'll definitely get my brother back... and Hudie! And before I forget..."

Erika then walked over to Wormmon, as she cuddled him gently. "Thank you for telling me what you feel about me, Wormmon." Erika spoke in a grateful tone. "What you're feeling is the kind of love that I have yearned, someone that you would still love even if they have done stupid things. Just like my brother..."

Wormmon was touched by Erika's words, as tears began to leak from his eyes, as he let out a long high-pitched cry. Sanae only smiled at how adorable and heart-warming the scene was, while Gus was happy that Erika and Wormmon were getting yet closer together, while Richard nodded for the same reason as well.

The two of them separated, as Erika summoned her personal Eater Bits to her side, as they floated around her.

The entire group then made for the Odaiba bridge, as they had to continue fighting off hordes of wild Digimon on their way. When they arrived at the bridge, they saw that the roads were blockaded by police cars, as police officers were patrolling the area for any signs of suspicious activity.

"Where's... Where's Arcadiamon!?" Erika cried. "It's supposed to be here!"

Before anyone could answer the question, they heard a low-pitched siren-like sound, as they turned to it, where they come face-to-face with their target. Arcadiamon was now a large alien behemoth of a Digimon, as it seemed to look like a skirted-suit of sickly teal knight-like armour with small sharp shoulderpads, and two massive straight horns protruding from its back. From under the armour, purple root-like tentacles wriggled and swayed like thousands of giant worms, and it's head had a Y-visor helmet, where a red glow was seen inside of it, and two curled horns on the side of its head. It was as tall as the bridge on its highest point, as everyone stared up at the gigantic Digimon.

"The hell...!? That thing is just as big as the Time Eater!" Antonio cried. "Hell, it's even bigger than Trillion!"

"So this is Arcadiamon's ultimate form...?" Keisuke asked himself, before he grit his teeth, determined to win. "Even if this is what I must fight, I won't back down."

"Are we really going to fight a Digimon that big!?" Wormmon cried in horror, seeing Arcadiamon's full stature.

"No choice... We can't let it do any more damage to the real world like this..." Richard growled.

"Hey! You there! It's not safe here! Leave at once!" Date cried, as she ran towards the group, before she then stopped, gasping when she saw who the group was. "You... You're Hudie Hackers! And Ryuji's sister! What are you all doing here? This area is restricted!"

Arcadiamon let out a roar that shook the bridge, as it caused the blockade of cars to vibrate, surprising a few of the police officers.

"Inspector! It's too dangerous! We have to get out of here!" A police officer yelled to Date.

"Damn! We're not equipped to handle this kind of situation!" Date cursed under her breath, before the group immediately shot past her. "Hey! All of you! Don't take another step!"

The group immediately come face-to-face with Arcadiamon.

"Everyone... Please... save my brother!" Erika pleaded to everyone.

Everyone immediately summoned their Digimon, as they all beheld the monster before them.

"So this is finally a battle where the David and Goliath parable comes into play..." Kuro said. "Damn... It's quite big for a Digimon."

"Such size and power... But even so, we have to prevail together." Sun added, as he readied his blade.

"Where should I attack? What should I do? This thing is so big that I don't know where to hit? Maybe start with the head?" Bolt asked himself, as he tried to decide his course of action.

"A gigantic demon... Fitting for its identity." Ran spoke in a hostile tone, as she brandished her brush. "I will not allow it to run amok and take more lives."

"Woah, that's a really big one! But as long as I have Sanae supporting me, and everyone else fighting with us! We'll win!" Aya said.

"Well now, that size compensating for something?" Adam joked, as he summoned his twin guns into his hands. "Well, you know what they say. The bigger they are, the harder they fall."

"Everyone, gather your attacks together. We have to make this count." Richard ordered his teammates.

"Right!" Everyone responded back in unison, as their Digimon also acknowledged the order.

The group immediately attacked Arcadiamon, as they targeted various parts of its body. Kuro aimed for the head, Sun and Bolt aimed for its shoulders, Ran and Aya aimed for the lower half of the Digimon, while Adam was aiming for the muscular joint connecting the two armoured halves together. Attacking relentlessly, their attacks seemed to be powerful enough to slowly wear down Arcadiamon, although each of their attacks were repelled or dispelled by a invisible barrier protecting the massive Digimon.

"What the... It's shielded itself!?" Richard cried. "This isn't good! Everyone, stop attacking and maintain defence! Find a way to make it lower its guard somehow!"

The Digimon immediately went into a more defensive stance, as Kuro used his own body to protect the weaker members of the group, as Arcadiamon attacked back with the very same ferocity they did, firing off orbs of dark energy that exploded from impact by the dozen, and a salvo of purple shells that bombarded the group.

"What the hell... How long is it going to keep this up for!?" Antonio cried, as Bolt fired a counter back, only to be negated by the enemy's barrier, which is still up. "It still hasn't been weakened yet!"

Suddenly, Arcadiamon roared, before its body began to glow slowly, as Richard immediately paled when he realised what it was going to do.

"Everyone, brace yourself! It's going to unleash its most powerful move!" Richard screamed to everyone.

The Digimon partners immediately entered a guarded stance, as Arcadiamon's glow soon coalescence into a massive blue cross of energy, that was fired into the centre of the group, as it exploded into a massive blue explosion of digital energy, as binary numbers could be seen in the explosion. The cries of pain from the Digimon partners proved that even defended, the attack was powerful enough to damage them significantly. As the explosion subsided, Aya and Ran were already forced to the ground, as Ran was kneeling, using her brush to support her, and Aya's wings were furled onto her back, as she was too weak to take flight at the moment. The only ones that were still able to fight were Kuro, who was still able to fight properly, Sun and Bolt, who were barely able to keep themselves at the same condition, Keisuke's HerculesKabuterimon, which was actually not as injured as the rest of them, and Adam, who was still clinging on due to his sheer will to fight on.

"Ungh... That really... hurt...!" Sun groaned.

"It's really hurting our Digimon, and our attacks aren't doing anything! What do we do!?" Wormmon cried in fright.

Erika took a close look at Arcadiamon, as she could see that the barrier was maintained by digital coding, as he immediately summoned up her user interface, as her Eater Bits immediately rose up into the skies, before they glowed with blue energy with trails of digital binary coding, as they were absorbed through the barrier, as they latched onto Arcadiamon's body, before they let out a energy burst that disrupted the barrier around Arcadiamon.

"Yeah! It's barrier is down!" Wormmon cheered, seeing the situation turn for the better.

"That should help you all to win..." Erika said, before she then clutched her head. "...Ungh..."

"Erika?" Wormmon asked, worried that her illness could be returning.

"The rest is up to you! I know you can win!" Erika encouraged them.

"Then it's time to pull out the big guns." Richard said, before he then turned to Gus and Antonio. "You two, I want you to listen to me. Point your Digivices to each other. Trust me, we have to do this before either Sun or Bolt is defeated."

Gus and Antonio, was about to ask why Richard was suddenly asking for them to follow what he was ordering specifically, before they stopped themselves, and immediately pointed their Digivices at each other. When they did so, their screens lit up.

' **DNA Digivolution possible. Fused Digimon: EmperorGreyMon, MagnaGarurumon. Product: Susanoomon. Confirm?** ' Their screens read.

"Richard... What is this?" Gus asked Richard, seeing the message. "Is this...!?"

"Go on, it's time Hudie meets its second Ultra-Level." Richard encouraged them with a smile, before he turned to Kuro. "Kuro! Make sure Arcadiamon doesn't interfere! Use Supreme Cannon to stun it as much as possible!"

"Got that!" Kuro replied back, as he aimed his wolf-gauntlet at Arcadiamon, as he flew around, avoiding Arcadiamon's attacks, while firing off blue beams of power to penetrate through his armour.

"Now! Confirm it! Show them the power of the true lord of the Hybrid Spirits!" Richard cried to Gus and Antonio.

"Richard... Very well, we'll have it done!" Gus cried back.

"I'm pumped to see what this is going to lead to!" Antonio smiled with energy.

They both pressed to confirm the Digivolution, as they raised their Digivices up.

"Sun!/Bolt!" They called together. "DNA DIGIVOLVE!"

 _(For best immersion, play The Last Element from Digimon Frontier._ )

As the Digivolution command was accepted, their screens immediately glowed white, as Gus's Digivice turned orange-red, with the glowing kanji of fire on the screen, and Antonio's Digivice turned pure-white, with the blue-white kanji of light appearing on it. From both of their Digivices, a beam of light shot forth from the top of them, as the two data streamed merged into a clear-coloured ball of energy.

Sun and Bolt immediately Dedigivolved into their Agumon and Gabumon forms, as a ring of the Human Spirits appeared around Sun, while a ring of the Beast Spirits appeared around Bolt. The two Digimon were soon drawn into the ball of light, that then contracted itself slowly, before then exploding a rainbow nova of energy.

Inside of it, a glowing humanoid figure appeared, as various parts from their EmperorGreymon and MagnaGarurumon forms appeared, in the form of gauntlets and armour parts. Eventually, the parts merged together with the new being, as the form soon turned into a entirely new Digimon, with the combined parts of Sun and Bolt's previous forms. It had Bolt's legs with Sun's red cuirasses on each individual leg, and its upper body had Sun's chest armour and gauntlets, as the heads of their prior forms appeared on top of them. It's shoulder-guards were large flaming crown-like guards with a clear pearl on the centre of each of them. It also had twin long golden ribbons down its back. Attached behind its shoulder was a golden sun symbol that glowed with golden energy. Its head was a white mask with red spiked marks on its cheeks, and a azure-blue helmet that is not much different to that of a Japanese Daimyo's, with golden horns on the centre of the forehead, with a blue circle where the two intersect, as the kanji for heaven appeared on it in gold, and a silver visor for its eyes.

The new being opened its blue eyes, as they blazed with indomitable spirit inside of them, having been reborn with such power.

"I am Susanoomon, inheritor of the Ten Legendary Ancient Spirits." The being spoke in a voice that seemed to be a fusion between Sun's and Bolt's voices, as they overlapped each other. "The bringer of light, the one who brings order. I have been called upon to answer the cries of two warriors who have been proven worthy as my successors, and so, I descend onto the world, to purge the chaos that plagues the world!"

"What... What is this?" Keisuke asked Richard.

"Only the strongest of the Oriental God-Man Digimon." Richard smiled. "I never thought that it would succeed. As much as I despise playing god, by creating a artificial being that is akin to Susanoomon, I must borrow his power. My only hope is that he will not be spited by such action. That is, unless... judging by his words, this is THE Susanoomon."

"Sun?" Gus asked, surprised at the transformation, as Antonio asked "Bolt?"

"Sun? Bolt?" Susanoomon turned to Gus and Antonio, as he gave them a welcoming look. "So I see. That is how you have come to summon upon me. Worry not. I am both, yet I am neither. They are utilising the body as I am, and their power is what fuels this vessel of mine. For what you have done, Gus and Antonio, I will fight by your side, as it is the will of our partners to do so. Such noble and pure hearts are rarely seen, and I will do what I must to protect them."

"Sun.. No, Susanoomon." Gus asked Susanoomon. "I plead that you help us defeat Arcadiamon. It has absorbed our friend, and gained insurmountable power by absorbing countless Digimon, while wreaking havoc in both EDEN and the real world."

"There is no need to plead, young tamer." Susanoomon assured Gus with a nod. "It is my duty to give my power to those who would fight for the sake of all others."

Susanoomon then turned to Kuro. "I see that you're a being born from the darkness of the Digital World. Your body radiates with the same dark energy that has created you." He spoke in a calm tone.

"So...? What is your meaning then, Susanoomon?" Kuro asked back in a cold tone. "Are you saying that you share hostility to you?"

"No. I bear no hatred nor disgust to you. I am merely relieved that you are a being of darkness not consumed by the corruption that lies within their soul." Susanoomon answered back in a peaceful manner. "I remember how the purified Spirits of Darkness have felt within myself, compared to when they were corrupted in the hands of Kerpymon."

"That so...?" Kuro responded back, as he went into silence. "Then what are you then? You said that you're Sun and Bolt at the same time, but you're also not, since you're the third consciousness inside this body. Who is really in control of you then?"

"All of us." Susanoomon answered back. "It is because our wills are one, that we are able to control this mighty form of ours. Perhaps... Perhaps I should take a name like your friends have for your companions. The dragon of the sun, the wolf of the moon... Together they forge the eclipse of the gods, so let me name be... Eclipse."

"Very well, Eclipse." Kuro said, before he turned to Arcadiamon, which was about to recover from the damage it received from Erika's surprise attack. "Let's finish this damned thing off, together."

"I am happy to stand alongside you, my ally." Eclipse answered back, as he then reached his hands out, as parts of EmperorGreymon's, and MagnaGarurumon's weapons appeared, as they merged together into a large cannon with the rifle muzzle of MagnaGarurumon's cannon, and the hilt of EmperorGreymon's sword as the handle. "I shall bring an end of the tyranny of this accursed Digimon, who seeks to consume all life. Heaven's Thunder!"

He then fired off a golden blast from the weapon, which shot into the skies, before a large swirling vortex of golden energy appeared above it, as thunderbolts of the same colour rained down on Arcadiamon, as it was hit almost everywhere, as the armour twisted and burned under the force of the attack.

"Don't think that you're getting all the credit for this, Eclipse!" Kuro exclaimed, as he raised his wolf gauntlet up. "Now that this thing no longer has its shields, let's see if it likes a shot to the head with a Supreme Cannon! Richard, patch me up a little!"

"You don't have to repeat twice!" Richard cried back, as he immediately applied a SP Capsule A, which was a azure-blue capsule of energy that restored Kuro's energy. "Go and get them!"

Kuro then fired off a series of blue laser blasts that pierced through Arcadiamon's body, weakening it further, as it tried to retailiate back with its own attacks, only for them to be either dodged or blocked.

As the battle went on, Arcadiamon tried to fire off its special move again and again, only to be interrupted by either Kuro driving his blade through its head, which still didn't kill it, but still severely weakened it and disrupted its attempt to attack, or Susanoomon firing off a burst from his cannon that hit the gathering ball of energy and destroyed it before it could reach critical mass. Eventually, Arcadiamon was too weak to even fight back, as its body was barely hanging together, as the root-like tentacles were severed from the endless barrage of attacks, and its armour was almost completely destroyed, save for the head, where its helmet was cracked enough that the red orb of energy that was its brain could be seen underneath it.

"I guess we've got it on the ropes." Kuro stated with a triumphant tone, as he drew his blade out. "It's time to end this freakshow once and for all."

"Indeed." Eclipse answered back, as his visor lowered down over his eyes, as the eyes and mouths of the cannon lit up with energy, before a massive long blade of light appeared from the mouth of the cannon. As their blades were out, they felt something resonating within them, specifically, their own weapons, the blades. "What... What is this feeling?"

"I feel... like that our power are coming together, Eclipse... I don't know what's going to happen, but we have to unleash this power swelling within us!" Kuro cried.

They then arced their blades back, as their blades shone even more brightly than before.

"DIVINE CROSS!" Kuro and Eclipse declared at the same time, as their slashes crossed over each other, as they formed a massive X-shaped blade wave that glowed with a rainbow energy, as it shot right through Arcadiamon, as it immediately seized up, as a massive cross-scar that was glowing with rainbow energy appeared on its entire body.

It then let out a guttural death cry, as a large light appeared where the final blow was struck, as it grew bigger and brighter, before it then exploded into a massive burst of digital data and white light, which caused everyone to cover their eyes, except Susanoomon, whose eyes were guarded by his visor.

As the light subsided, they saw Ryuji's Coredramon carrying his partner in his arms, flying down and placing Ryuji on the ground, before falling onto his knees.

"Ryuji!" Erika cried, as she immediately ran over to Ryuji, as she and Coredramon, pulled him into a sitting position.

Kuro and Susanoomon immediately dispelled or sheathed their weapons, as they turned back to the group, as they landed down on the bridge where their partners and the rest of the Digimon were. Ran looked at Susanoomon with reverent eyes, as she struggled to look up at him.

"Lord... Susanoomon?" Ran asked back.

"Ah, you must be the one who seeks to become Sakuyamon." Eclipse responded back. "I ask that you take care of your own partner, for she is as precious to you, as I am to you, for she is the one who grants you the power to allow you become yet stronger beyond your limits. Do not forget that."

"I... I understand. I have never doubted or mistrusted my holy maiden, Lord Susanoomon." Ran spoke in a respectful tone. "All I ask is that you forgive me for being so lax that I could not be in my most ideal form when you have come to this realm."

"You are forgiven." Eclipse told Ran, who immediately bowed deeply to apologise. He then turned to the tamer group. "Now then, as much as I am overjoyed to attain my physical form once again, I understand that this vessel is merely temporary, is it not?"

"It is..." Richard answered back. "I'm sorry, but we don't want Sun and Bolt to be permanently locked within one body."

"That is fine." Eclipse answered back with a understanding tone. "True power does not merely just lie on the reliance of those stronger than you. It is also conquering your limits and learning what the true meaning of power and strength is to you. I will remain by your side, and I will come when you call upon me. Whether it is to query about my own identity or to have me assist in the most dire of your times. Until then, I bid you farewell, courageous warriors of both Digimon and tamers."

Eclipse then glowed, before the light split into two, reverting them back into Sun and Bolt, who both seemed to be enlightened by the experience, by the look in their eyes.

"So this is... what a god looks like... and feels like." Sun spoke in a soft tone. "When our minds merged, we have come to understand all there is about the Ancient Spirits... And so much, much more.."

"I feel like that there is so much more I have learnt, and even more that I want to know..." Bolt also stated. "But... I can't let this knowledge get the better of me, or we'll lose sight of what we are."

Gus and Antonio immediately hugged their partners.

"I'm so glad that you're alright, Sun." Gus answered back.

"You too, Bolt." Antonio told his partner, smiling a little at how his partner seemed to have been reborn in a metaphorical sense.

Ryuji then woke up, as he groaned, as everyone turned to him, and surrounded him from all sides.

"Brother!" Erika exclaimed, before she then tackled Ryuji into a hug, as she teared up with a smile. "I miss you. Welcome back..."

"E... Erika..." Ryuji muttered, before he hugged her tightly, as he smiled. "I'm sorry... for everything."

Date then suddenly ran into the scene, as she was completely livid.

"There you all are! I've been looking for you!" Date growled, before she noticed Ryuji. "What? Is that Ryuji?"

"Don't worry, he's not controlled anymore, Date." Richard assured Date. "He's a little injured, but he's OK otherwise."

"A little hurt!?" Date screeched, before she immediately rushed up to Ryuji, as Erika let go of him, as Date immediately slung his arm over her shoulders. "I'll get you to an ambulance, Ryuji."

She then turned to the group, who withdrew their Digimon partners before Date could talk to them again. "This time, do as I say and come with me! Otherwise I won't hesitate to arrest you all for running from a police officer! You can explain everything later!"

She then walked towards the end of the bridge, as everyone followed her, as Erika was limping towards them, as Wormmon was sitting on Keisuke's back.

"We... did it." Erika smiled, before she then fell to the ground, completely unconscious, as the sound caused Richard and Keisuke to turn around.

"Erika!?" Wormmon cried in shock.

"Wait, if she's unconscious, and those Eater Bits were under her control... Then that means..." Keisuke said, before he paled. "No..."

The Eater Bits immediately turned around, as they swarmed Erika, before they clustered all over her, as digital sparks and data leaked from her, before they immediately merged into a large floating tentacled being, that had Erika by the head in its body, as her body dangled under it. Everyone, who heard the commotion turned around, and were surprised by the sight of what they saw.

"What... What the hell is that!?" Sanae screamed at the sight.

The floating Eater being immediately floated away into the skies, as Wormmon immediately hopped off, as he waved his short legs at it. "Hey! Leave her alone!" He cried.

"Erika!" Ryuji shouted.

"Hey, take it easy!" Date warned Ryuji.

"Damnit, the Eater Bits went rogue when Erika lost control with her consciousness!" Richard shouted. "If this continues on... She'll... she'll be assimilated!"

"I can't get through to her... no, no, NO!" Wormmon shrieked, as he tried to get through to Erika's digital self. "What can I do!?"

"Calm down! You're the Vanguard!" Reimu shouted with force to make the Digimon stop squirming and screaming, as Wormmon did so when he heard her. "You should know what to do now!"

"You're right... I'm a member of Hudie after all!" Wormmon said. "First, we need to check up on Erika. By that, I mean her memory server. If we can access it, maybe we can make contact with her even though she's being assimilated."

"Then that's where we're going." Keisuke said, before he turned to Date. "Take care of Ryuji. We have to save Erika!"

"What do you mean. Where are you going!?" Date said.

"To the memory server in EDEN" Richard answered back with a growl. "And don't try to stop us. Her life is more valuable than being arrested by police, and I will knock you aside if I have to get there! So DON'T!"

The group immediately made for Erika's ward, where they logged into EDEN without a moment of delay, heading for the URL to Erika's Memory server.

* * *

 _Inside Erika's Memory Server..._

Everyone arrived at the memory server, which were swarmed by Eaters, although they were quite small compared to the ones that are usually encountered.

"Whoa! The whole place is crawling with Eaters!" Wormmon screeched with fright. "It must be because they've assimilated Erika? I can't get through to her here!"

"Then we'll have to dive back into her memories!" Gus said. "And hurry, before the Eaters turn their attention to us!"

Everyone rushed towards the terminal, as they interfaced with it, whisking them into the first layer of Erika's memory-scape, where the space scene was. This time, they could hear Erika's whispers all around them, as many of them were interfaced over each other.

"What the... Is Erika's memories becoming more... active somehow?" Antonio asked.

They continued on, as they teleported down into the memory of the bedroom, as they continued on, where they found no Eaters in their way.

"Strange... There are no Eaters around here..." Keisuke said, as they reached the teleportation pad, as it was there in place of the program terminal they last saw.

"This is where we stopped looking, Keisuke..." Richard stated. "I don't think that things would look as peaceful and kind as we just saw before in her memories. Are you sure you're ready to dive in? There will be some memories that she does not want to remember again, and it will be quite heart-breaking to see them."

"I must... We have to save Erika." Keisuke answered back with bravery in his voice.

"If you say so..." Richard said, as they stepped on the teleportation pad, as they shifted to the next layer of memories, as they passed, they saw the cartoony Erika wake up on her bed, as she went through her morning routine in a series of scenes, with her mother who was a opaque shadow with only her smiling mouth visible.

She was brushing Erika's hair, who was rubbing her eyes with a long yawn, and Memetan on her lap, before she then got her shoes on. She then walked with her mother and father, whose head was shadowed over, before she was in a car, looking out of her window, and seeing the city-scape in front of her with a wide smile. Suddenly the image flashed, as the background turned bloody red, as her figure turned into a black silhouette, as cracks appeared on the scenes, before she was seen falling head-down, with various broken and fractured parts of the car floating around her, glass, metal, plastic, rubber was seen surround her. Soon enough, her figure turned into a torn Memetan with stitches all over it, and white cotton leaking from them.

Everyone immediately landed on another set of platforms, as everyone except Richard were shocked by the sudden grim twist of her memories' atmosphere, into a more dark and hopeless one.

"What... What is that? And why do I feel so... horrified?" Elma asked.

"That... is her memory of the car accident. The accident that has left her with the illness that plagues her, and the one that took the lives of her parents." Richard said in a grim tone. "See what I mean? Things turn out to be far less pretty than they look."

Keisuke could only look at the scene with shocked silence, before he then turned around and continued down the path, as the others followed him to another teleportation pad, which they took.

The next memory they saw on their way to the next layer, was the torn Memetan Doll that was Erika, inside a hospital room, as time lapsed, while various shadowed people appeared, some doctors, some visitors. As time passed again and again, the flower pot that used to be filled with fresh flowers wilted away, and the room got darker and darker, until the computer screen of the laptop on the side of her bed glowed brighter and brighter, as the Memetan doll looked at it.

Everyone felt that they have landed on the ground, as Keisuke could only clench his fists, as he fought back the urge to cry about how unfair Erika's life was.

"Tell me, Keisuke..." Richard asked Keisuke in a melancholic tone. "Have you ever felt despair? The kind that makes you resign to the cruel fate dealt to you, the very one that you cannot struggle against no matter what happens or how you try to overturn it? Have you ever felt that you were losing everything while you couldn't even be able to lift a finger to prevent it? That was how Erika felt.. during her time in the hospital. She was suffering without any cure to her misery and pain, and her world was slowly falling apart... But... you forget that there's a world that she can rely on."

Everyone continued on in silence, as they made their way to the next teleportation pad, as they teleported into another layer of memories. As they did, they saw that the screen began to shine with golden light, as the Memetan doll was being shone upon with a light blue-background of pixels and fractals, as the Memetan doll flickered and weaved a few times, before Erika's form was in its place. Soon, it showed a digitised Koromon being converted into a actual one with pink energy and a few twisted motions, as it bounced up and down to somewhere, as Erika followed after it like Alice after the White Rabbit, with each of her steps on the golden ground leaving behind pink ripples, like Koromon. Eventually, she stopped, as she found a Tanemon, which was smiling at her. The scene then transistioned to one where Erika was sitting down with a smile, as the pink polygon trees swayed behind her, and the Koromon and Tanemon were jumping around her lively.

"EDEN is where she can be happy again." Richard answered back. "They say EDEN is where people can 'find happiness in a new life'. To others, it is a mere metaphor or advertising slogan. But to someone who has little left in the real world... It is the one solid truth that she can rely on. She met the Digimon, and she felt like that she was given a new life to savour till the end."

They continued down the passage, as Richard's expression began to turn a little more dark than before.

"But... will such things last?" Richard asked. "EDEN is not too much different to the real world."

"What do you mean?" Keisuke asked back.

Richard didn't answer, as they hopped onto the next teleportation pad, down into another layer in her memory-scape. The bloody-red background appeared, as the fractures could be seen, as it flashed between various tints of the scene and the bloody-red cracked background, as Erika's silhouette was white, and the Digimons' own ones could not be seen. Suddenly, the screen shattered into tinted red glass shards, as a crying Erika was running through the flying field of shards, as the Koromon and Tanemon were struck by an unknown force, leaking white bubbles from their wounds, before they saw the torn Memetan doll come apart with the white cotton flowing out of its separated parts. Soon, Erika was clutching her head, as sharp blue claws was surrounding her, as they clenched and grappled at her, threatening to harm her.

Soon, in front of her, a large white door slowly opened, as a white arm reached out from it, reaching towards Erika, who ran towards it, as the sketched Erika figure reached her hand out to touch the hand, as they clasped their fingers together, as the scene faded to white.

Everyone didn't dare to speak, not even Richard, who was touched by the scene.

Wormmon then hopped down, as he looked around. "This place looks clear." He said, before he noticed a Eater. "Ah! There's a Eater here, too! Take it out! We have to protect this area!"

Soon enough, several Eaters appeared with the one spotted by Wormmon, as they advanced at the group.

"You won't touch a single part of her memories." Richard growled, as he summoned Kuro from his Digivice. "They are her happiness and her hope. You who takes those away... I won't let that happen!"

Kuro immediately attacked the Eaters, as Keisuke summoned HerculesKabuterimon, who helped to quickly defeat the Eaters. Eventually, the memory-scape was clear of Eaters.

"That Eater must have been trying to assimilate that memory. We stopped it before it could finish." Wormmon stated. "What a relief... More Eaters could be on their way! We need to make contact with Erika as soon as possible!"

He then turned to Erika, whose digital shadow appeared in front of them.

"Erika! Erika, can you hear me?" Wormmon asked Erika.

"Wormmon!?" Erika's voice could be heard from it, surprised.

"Great! You're okay! I'm accessing you through your memory server!" Wormmon exclaimed with relief in his voice.

"I wouldn't say that I'm okay. The Eater that assimilated me is on a rampage. I think it's trying to go to the Digital World." Erika answered back. "What can I do? It's my fault. My mental data has done this to it! It's me...!"

"Don't say that! We can still stop this!" Richard shouted. "We can help! Where is it now?"

"I'm not sure now, but it's probably heading to the junction between EDEN and the Digtial World. Junk Plaza... It's the only way to get to the Mother Eater!" Erika said. "But the Eater has too much data volume! If it tries to get through, then EDEN will be-!"

Suddenly the digital shadow began to flicker, as Erika's voice became more and more garbled, becoming incomprehensible.

"Erika? Erika!?" Wormmon cried. "I can't hear you! Erika!"

Suddenly, the digital shadow disappeared, as Wormmon began to sweat coldly.

"I lost the connection! The Eaters have thrown the Digital Waves into chaos!" Wormmon cried with fear. "Erika said they're on a rampage and that it's her fault. What does she mean?"

Another digital shadow of Erika appeared, as everyone turned to it.

"Is that another of Erika's memories?" Wormmon questioned.

Keisuke was about to move in to interface with it, before Richard stopped him with an arm out.

"Let me. I need to see this for myself." Richard told Keisuke, before he then plunged his hand into the digital shadow, as he was transferred into Erika's memory.

* * *

 _A memory of Erika's..._

 _"So tell me more details. Then maybe I'll believe you, Wormmon." Erika said, as she was sitting in front of the monitor, with Wormmon in a window._

 _"Okay! Where should I start?" Wormmon cheerfully agreed._

 _"Hehe... well, what is the beach of links like?" Erika asked back with a chuckle._

 _"Ah, the beach of links. All sorts of things get washed up from the electromagnetic sea. Strange looking boxes, and sometimes buildings." Wormmon told her. "Near the beach is a forest that stretches to a valley of buildings. In the forest, there's..."_

 _Erika had a unamused expression on her face, as she had her hand under her chin clasped together._

 _"It looks like you don't believe a word I'm saying! I'm describing it as best as I can!" Wormmon huffed._

 _"The more you describe it, the more unbelievable it sounds." Erika answered back. "But... If there really is a place like that, I want to go and see it."_

 _"Then let's go! Come to the Digital World with me, I mean. Hudie is a hacker team, right?" Wormmon responded back. "Imagine how awesome it would be if such an amazing hacker team went to the Digital World!"_

 _"Even if I wanted to go, no one knows where it is." Erika refuted._

 _"We just haven't found the way back yet, but I'm sure we'll find it one day!" Wormmon denied, before he closed his eyes with a happy face. "The Digital World really does exist, after all!"_

 _"...It sure would be great if we could find it." Erika sighed back._

 _"Yeah! And then I can show you around!" Wormmon cheered. "And if a scary Digimon shows up, you'll protect me, won't you?"_

 _"So that's why you want me to go with you." Erika realised, before she then burst into laughter, as Wormmon was hurt by her laughter, before the scene then faded away, until Erika was alone._

 _"It would be amazing if I really could do that one day..." Erika said to herself. "Going to an unknown world, seeing things no one's ever seen before, meeting new people... I haven't even fully come to grips with this world yet, but I'd still love to go on an adventure in the Digital World. Now I really want to go there..."_

 _Suddenly the memory shimmered, as it changed into the digital shadow._

"I can't go..." The shadow spoke back in a grief-filled tone. "I can't even mention such things. After everything I've put my brother through. I have no right to talk this way... An adventure in the Digital World... Seeing new things... I shouldn't say things like that. Because I... I..."

The shadow cried with tears flowing down her cheeks. "Because... I don't want to leave Richard and Keisuke, after all they have done for me and Hudie..."

* * *

 _In Erika's memory-scape..._

Richard regained consciousness, as he turned to the others, as he sighed.

"I finally understand what she meant... The Eater took upon her dream to go to the Digital World, when her actual thoughts were that she didn't want to go." Richard explained. "I pity the Eater, who didn't have any purpose other than to gather data. So it took Erika's dream as a new-found purpose..."

Everyone nodded in response, before they heard sirens around the entire cyberspace.

"What? Something's not right!" Wormmon cried, as he summoned up his own miniature user interface. "The server, it's being eroded! Nooo!"

"Get out of here!" Erika's voice rang through the server.

"Erika!?" Keisuke cried, before everyone was forced to log-out of the server.

* * *

 _In the real world..._

Everyone were back in Erika's ward, as the desktop was back in the Hudie site, with a message on their screens.

' **User has been forced to log-out. Unable to access EDEN.** ' The message read.

"Tch... I guess the Eaters really did it..." Richard cursed. "We won't be able to get into EDEN like this, to save Erika..."

Keisuke turned to Wormmon, who was curled up on the bed, as he was quivering.

"It was Erika. She saved us..." Wormmon whimpered. "What can we do now? This is bad... You heard what she said before we were forced to log-out. EDEN... It's been eroded by the Eaters!"

"No..." Elma stated with despair. "Then that means... Erika... she's... all alone?"

"We have to find Ryuji and Chitose! They might be able to help!" Gus said.

Everyone left the room, where they found Ryuji and Chitose talking to each other, as Wormmon was sprinting on his legs as fast as he could.

"Ryuji... Chitose... Something has happened!" Antonio cried to them.

"Erika... She's trapped in EDEN, and it has been eroded by the Eaters!" Wormmon added.

"What!?" Chitose cried, before he pulled out his phone, as he tried to access EDEN, only to fail. "Damn... I can't log in! I've never seen such a major error in EDEN. I don't get it, what happened!?"

"The rampaging Eater Bits assimilated Erika and changed into something different." Wormmon tried to explain as clearly as he could. "I'll call them the 'Eater Legion' for now. It's been eroding EDEN in a attempt to reach the Digital World, by trying to get through the passage we made to the Mother Eater in Junk Plaza. That's what caused the error... We only managed to get out safely, because Erika forced us to log-out before it could get to us."

"And by the looks of it. There's no sign that the number of EDEN Syndrome patients have increased." Chitose added his opinion. "Maybe she saved all the other users as well. I hate to say this, but she needs to think about herself sometimes!"

He then noticed Ryuji, who was limping towards the hospital's exit. "Ryuji, what are you doing!?" He demanded.

"I've made up my mind. I'm going to save Erika!" Ryuji roared back. "Don't try to stop me! I'm responsible for what's happened to her! Even so, she risked her life to save me! I'm not going to rescue her, but I have to apologise to her myself!"

"And if you get yourself killed in the process!? Just think for a second! You're just as stubborn as your sister!" Chitose said.

"No, Chitose... We have to do this together...' Richard answered back. "Remember that a hacker always repay his debts!"

"This isn't the time for showing off! Ryuji's in no shape to command his partner around to fight!" Chitose replied back, before he let out a cry of frustration. "Argh! Whatever! Have it your way then! You all make me so mad! You all coming!? There's no time to waste!"

Everyone nodded, as Reimu and Sanae helped support Ryuji on their shoulders.

"Since we're all back together, without Erika..." Chitose told everyone. "We'll make our strategy meeting while we move."

"Keisuke, Richard. Since you two have been keeping the team together and well during these times, you two will be in charge." Ryuji told Richard and Keisuke. "We want you to be the leaders for now."

"Roger that. We'll take care of this." Richard responded back with a quick nod. "Let the others fight for you. Don't do anything stupid. I'm using my new authority to enforce that rule on you."

"Fine." Ryuji answered back.

"Wait!" Fei cried, as she seemed to have recovered from her injuries, as her sling was gone, and her bandage was much smaller before on her head. "Where are you all going!?"

"We're going to save Erika. You must have seen us save Ryuji." Keisuke answered back. "Erika has been assimilated by a Eater, and it has been eroding EDEN! We have to find a way to access it."

"So that's why I couldn't log into EDEN." Fei clicked her tongue. "This is indeed a massive problem, if the Eaters there are left unchecked."

"We need to contact Yuuko. She might have a way to help us." Chitose told Fei.

"She's not there." Fei shook her head. "She's out fighting, to save the world, with those kids."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Chitose asked back.

"It's something that they must do on their own." Richard explained, as he was aware of what David and the others are doing at this moment. "They have their duty to save EDEN, as we do. I believe that they are taking out one of the threats, while we take on the other."

"I see..." Ryuji responded back with a slow nod.

"I'll help you all out instead." Fei suggested. "If you're trying to log back into EDEN, and eliminate that Eater causing EDEN's erosion, everything will go back to normal, right?"

"That's what we hope." Ryuji answered back.

"I have no reason to doubt that." Fei said, before she then placed her hand on her chin. "Hm.. Perhaps there's a way to access EDEN, even when the log-in system has been eroded as well. The underground laboratory at the Metropolitan Building in Roppongi... There's a login machine there. It was specially made by Rie Kishibe, built differently from the devices that use normal login authorisation, so that Yuuko could log into EDEN as Yuugo. If there's any hope, that machine is the key to it. But I warn you, it's not a nice place, and bad things has happened to Yuuko when she was in there before the Digital Shift. Be careful of what you face in there."

"Thanks for the heads up." Antonio thanked Fei with a smile.

"Don't get me wrong. This doesn't make up for the trouble your leader has caused for us." Fei replied, as she glared at Ryuji intensely with some animosity. "I'm just worried about what would happen to you all, since you've been helping us all this time. It would be a shame to lose someone who would help Yuugo for so long."

"That's okay with you, leader!? If there is a chance it'll work, we have to try!" Chitose told Keisuke.

"Sure. But how do we get there?" Keisuke asked.

"By the Nakano Underpass. The Defence Force surrounded the building, under the rumours and reports that dire things have been happening inside the building." Fei answered his question quickly. "There will be guards inside the laboratory as well, so try to deal with them before you go logging in."

Everyone nodded, as Fei stepped aside. "Good luck, you're all going to need it." Fei sent them off with some final advice to them.

As they immediately headed for the Nakano Underpass, Richard thought to himself.

' _David... Wherever you are... You better not fuck up bringing down the Mother Eater and Suedou... Otherwise things will get more difficult on our side of things!_ ' Richard thought to himself. _'It's up to you to take care of the Eaters, while we save EDEN. To each their own, just like the two heroes who walk different paths, but walk the same scenery..._ '


	29. Chapter 28: Eroded EDEN

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 28: Eroded EDEN

* * *

 _At the Nakano Underpass..._

The group navigated their way through the large maze of pipes and machinery that was the underbelly of the city above them, as they found a elevator that would lead them down to the actual Underpass.

"This is it. We're going to save Erika and EDEN together." Richard told everyone, as they pushed themselves into the elevator. "If you have any regrets, say them now, because from here, it's going to be a uphill that must be won no matter what."

Everyone was silent, as Richard smiled. "Good, I'm glad that you guys are with me." Richard said. "Ryuji, Chitose, Keisuke... Before we begin our final mission together, I want to say that I am proud of the moments we have had together. Even though my time with you guys were short, I have had many times to cherish, as did my companions."

"What do you mean, your final mission?" Keisuke asked. "Are you planning to leave after this is all over, like David?"

"You'll see... For now, don't worry about it. Worry about what we'll have to deal with when we make it to EDEN." Richard spoke in a calm tone.

The elevator doors opened with a bell chime, as they moved out, where they saw Fei waiting for then looked around, as parts of the walls were left with green digital markings, as if they were miniature portals to a green-coloured cyberspace.

"Whoa... This is really weird stuff. Are you sure it's safe to go on through?" Chitose asked Fei with a worried expression, on seeing how much of the path was digitised already.

"Yeah. We'll be fine, but be ready for battle." Fei advised them. "Keisuke, you and the others take point. The others have barely recovered, so I've got your back."

"Alright." Keisuke answered back, as he summoned HerculesKabuterimon, while the others summoned their partner Digimon.

They then proceeded through the long winding passsageways, as they fought off various kinds of Digimon with their own, as they made their way slowly to the place where Rie Kishibe's special EDEN terminal was. When they arrived, they found the large terminal, that was hooked up to so many static-filled monitors, and other support devices, being guarded closely by a group of troopers in green military gear.

"Kuh... There's guards everywhere..." Richard hissed with gritted teeth, as everyone hid behind the nearest wall. "We won't be able to do anything at this rate!"

"What do we do then?" Keisuke asked. "We could use our Digimon to beat them, but what will it do to our Digimon? They're not so strong that the soldier's weapons won't be able to harm them."

"We should wait for an opportunity to show itself." Gus suggested. "When there are only one or two left, we can take advantage, and log in before the rest come back."

"Good idea." Sanae nodded, before they then heard a noise above, as it resembled a series of cries, as Ryuji noticed one of them.

"Matayoshi!?" Ryuji exclaimed. "What is he doing here? Unless...?"

"Matayoshi must have done this in order to help cover for us..." Chitose realised. "But that would mean that Date must have been eavesdropping our conversation with Fei before..."

"So he's going to distract the troopers, and lure some of them up here?" Keisuke asked, as he felt deep respect for the elderly detective. "We cannot thank him enough for this..."

"Look... The troopers...!" Elma whispered, as everyone turned their attention to the trooper guards, as they noticed the commotion above-ground.

"It's chaos up there. Go and help. I'll handle things here!" One of the troopers ordered the others with several clear hand-gestures.

"Yes sir!" One of the other troopers cried back with a short salute, as the rest of the troopers jogged towards the elevators, leaving the sole trooper looking around for any intruders.

"Now's our chance!" Richard muttered, before he then ran up to the trooper, who immediately turned to him.

"Argh! A intruder!?" The trooper exclaimed, before he reached for his walkie-talkie. "Then there must be more! I have to call for some back-up-"

"No you DON'T!" Richard shouted, as he tackled the trooper to the ground, making him fall on his back. Before he could react, Richard immediately elbow-dropped the soldier on the face with such force, that the trooper was knocked out sufficiently, and he turned to the others. "He's down for the count! Everyone, get here!"

"Knocking out a Defence Trooper in a single motion..." Fei said. "I'd say that would be truly monstrous, but it didn't compare to what you did in Under Zero. Was that really you back there?"

"We don't need to question this kind of thing now, Fei!" Richard responded back with a urgent tone. "Ryuji, Chitose, Keisuke! We're going to hack into this thing with Fei!"

The mentioned hackers immediately came up to the machine, as they pulled out their user interfaces, as they attempted to crack the security on the EDEN Terminal, although they seemed to be struggling.

"What the hell is this!?" Chitose cried. "The encryption, it's too strong for just us to handle!"

"I didn't think it would be this easy to hack, but this..." Fei groaned. "This is a whole another level..."

"I can't get my head around it." Ryuji stated.

"This kind of programming requires multiple people on one machine... Any hacker could do it, but it's after the quantity of hackers who are hacking it, like a DDOS attack..." Chitose relayed the information he learned from his hacking attempts. "It's only possible if we have more people... But we're short-handed..."

Suddenly, the group heard footsteps, as everyone prepared their Digivices.

"Crap, we have to hide! Those soldiers might have came back!" Antonio shouted.

However, when the sources of the footsteps came into view, it was not the troopers tasked with guarding the terminal, but instead a slew of hackers from various hacking teams, as they immediately went up to the terminal.

"They're...!" Ryuji gasped.

"The EDEN hackers! But why are they here!?" Fei cried. "I don't recall any orders in ZAXON for them to assist us!"

"Fei! We felt so left out! Why wouldn't you let the other teams in on something this interesting!?" A lively ZAXON hacker asked Fei.

"Yeah! The future of EDEN is riding on this! We'll lend you a hand!" Another ZAXON hacker cried.

"You're going to take out that monster, right? Don't let ZAXON and Hudie have all the fun." A Demons hacker told them, as his mask was on his face.

Soon, Yu, wearing a Demons's mask, walked up to Keisuke and the others, before he then rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I... I was just passing by." Yu asked in a timid voice.

"Yu? You're... You're here to help us?" Keisuke asked his masked friend.

"What are you talking about?" Yu questioned back. "I just heard that a strange monster's running riot in our cyberspace, so I got people together to help. It looks like you're having some trouble with your hacking. I'm happy to lend a hand."

"Yu... I know that you don't want us to see your face, because of what happened... But it's okay. We're relieved to have your help, Yu." Keisuke told Yu, before he smiled. "You really helped us a lot."

Yu remained silent, before he then took off his mask, as his expression was grim.

"I... I was too ashamed to let you see me, Keisuke, so I decided to wear a mask." Yu confessed with guilt. "But forget all that, I've come to apologise for everything I have done. I won't ask you to forgive me, but let me make up for that at least... You're going to save your friend now, right? Let me help. That's why I brought everyone."

Soon various hackers appeared, as the group could recognise the Masked Maids, the Steam Dealers, and some of the Dinosaurists Richard faced for the Beast Spirits, as the group saw that everyone were determined to help save EDEN.

"We're all outsiders in the real world, but EDEN brought us all together." Yu continued. "I know we didn't get along, and we may have different aims, but when it comes to getting EDEN back, we're together as one. I knew they would come if I put out the call for it. So please, accept my help... I want to be your best friend, and this time, I mean it..."

Keisuke then walked up to Yu, before he then hugged his friend tightly. "You're being silly, Yu. You always were my best friend." Keisuke assured Yu. "But if you done this for the sake of getting my trust and friendship back... Then consider yourself forgiven."

"Great, you've made up with Yu!" Wormmon chimed in from Keisuke's back.

Everyone immediately hacked in with Ryuji, Chitose and Fei, as they worked hard to override the security with their unstoppable wave of hacking might, as the security was slowly yielding against them.

"Okay, I managed to get login access for three people. But with our friend's little trick, we can bring more along with us, so long as Keisuke is near the rest of Richard and his group." Chitose told everyone.

"Three people... Fei, it has to be me, Chitose and Keisuke." Ryuji told the ZAXON hacker.

"No way! I'm responsible for protecting EDEN while Yuuko's away!" Fei said, before she sighed, shaking her head. "Well, that's what I want to say, but I know that you're not going to back down. I'll also need to stick around for Kamishiro."

"Don't worry! We'll take out the Eater and return EDEN to normal!" Chitose yelled with fighting spirit in his voice.

"Just make sure you do." Fei answered back.

"Leave the login machine to us. We did a rush job, so we'll need to make some adjustments." Yu told the group. "I've been thinking ever since what happened, and I finally understand. Hudie is probably the best place for you. You've come a long way since you met them. It actually made me feel a little jealous. But that's the reason why I won't give up. This time, I'll make sure I'm worthy of standing beside you as your Vanguard!"

Wormmon snickered hearing that, as Keisuke nodded back with a warm smile. "I'm sure that you will." Keisuke said. "Thank you, Yu."

Everyone interfaced with the login terminal, as they prepared to login into EDEN.

"This feels a little weird. Who'd thought that we'd get mixed up in something this big?" Chitose asked everyone. "I swear, ever since Keisuke, Richard, and his friends came into our lives, things got more and more hectic..."

"That's how life is, Chitose." Richard answered back. "We've got our things to deal with."

"It's not that big of a deal." Ryuji added. "There are people out there saving the real world, and our fight is small compared to theirs. Even so, it's our own fight, the fight that we will see through, for the sake of Erika..."

"We'll make them pay for taking Erika!" Wormmon cried. "Isn't that right, Ryuji?"

"Yeah. That's right." Ryuji smiled back, before he turned to everyone. "It's time. Let's do this.. as brothers and sisters of Hudie."

They soon logged in, as they entered EDEN, in whatever state the Eater Erosion left it.

* * *

 _In the DigiLab..._

Richard and the group found themselves in the DigiLab, as they were all surprised to end up in the cybernetic lab. Mirei was in front of them, as she had her standard calm look on her face.

"Hello, Richard. And hello to your friends." Mirei greeted them. "I take it that you are about to head inside EDEN, in its broken state, is that right?"

"Yeah... But Mirei, how did you survive the erosion with the DigiLab?" Richard asked back. "The erosion spread through all of EDEN!"

"All of EDEN, yes, but your forget that the cyberspace that this DigiLab is based in, is ever-shifting. The Eater erosion cannot maintain a presence here, so I am in no danger, as is the Digilab." Mirei explained. "As for why I have intercepted you during your log-in, I have decided to give you a final visit. When you arrive at EDEN, you will no longer have access to the DigiLab, so I advise you to make your final Digivolutions before you depart for your final battles."

"I see.. So this will be the last time we'll ever see you for a while?" Richard asked, before he sighed deeply and nodded. "Alright, then let's do it. Reimu, Sanae, Elma, summon your Digimon partners. It's time they earn their final forms."

The three females immediately nodded, as they summoned Adam, Ran and Aya, who were immediately forced into Digivolution by the systems in the lab, as their forms slowly transformed. Adam's form immediately changed into his Blast Mode variant, where his red eyes are now green, his back sprouted four black raven wings, the upper two of which are much larger than the lower two, and his weapon became a massive cannon that was integrated to his right arm. Ran became Sakuyamon, with her golden staff and yellow armour that surrounded her body. Aya became a Ravemon in her Burst Mode Variation, as she was aa winged, humanoid Digimon with. She is clad from head to toe with black armour and a black mask on her face that appears like that of a raven head. It has two wings, one white and one black, as they glowed with a purple armour around them. Her left hand was a large talon-like claw, while her right was a long katana sheathed in her waist.

"So this is what true power feels like..." Adam remarked, checking his new weapon, before grinning wildly. "Neat."

"Finally, I have attained the form that I desire to use as a conduit of faith to my holy maiden..." Ran spoke with hidden joy in her voice. "I am grateful to those who have helped me attain such enlightenment."

"I kind of look like a tengu! This actually looks much better than I was when I was a Garudamon!" Aya exclaimed with interest in her new form. "I can't wait to try this new form out!"

The partners immediately withdrew their Digimon, as Richard turned to Mirei.

"Never thought the day would come, but I understand that you and we will be separated from each other. Even so, you have given us so much, the new power that our partners wield... I don't know how to thank you back for what you have done, Mirei Makumura."

"...You need not ask for any payment, for you have long repaid it with your kindness and camaraderie with your Digimon partners." Mirei answered back with a smile. "Now then... Go on, and bring about a new future in this world, Richard Liu, for you will be able to turn fate significantly when the resolution comes."

"I'll keep that to heart." Richard answered back. "Farewell, Mirei... May me meet again..."

Everyone soon disappeared through the sever transfer pad, as Mirei then sat down on her chair, as she opened her laptop, as the images of the group with their partners appeared.

"Yes, indeed... We will meet again, even if the time is uncertain..." She muttered to herself silently.

* * *

 _In the Eater-eroded EDEN..._

The group appeared alongside Keisuke and the other Hudie hackers, despite them spending some time in the DigiLab. As everyone logged into EDEN, they looked around, as there was only a single server, which consisted of a twisted landscape of white skyscrapers which were either leaning or toppled to one side, as orange digital glitches ran up each of their sides, and Eater Tentacles could be seen snaking around them, while the entire area's infrastructure was also white, with black sharp crystal-like protrustions under them.

"Is this really EDEN!?" Chitose cried in horror about EDEN's corruption.

"It's worse than I thought. What happened to the Digimon that were here?" Ryuji grimly stated.

"Maybe the Eaters got them all..." Wormmon whimpered.

"But how could EDEN get like this!? There were Eaters before, but it was never this bad!" Chitose shouted in anger.

"According to Suedou's paper, once Eaters have assimilated data, they break it down and reconstruct it in their own form." Wormmon recited his knowledge. "By consuming their targets, they overwrite themselves and are reborn as new life. In other words... evolution... But their evolution is usually suppressed for some reason, maybe so they can carry out their function as data-gathering entities. Because of Erika's modifications, the Eater Legion lost its link with the Mother Eater. With no limits to its evolution, it went out of control. At this rate, that Eater will absorb all of EDEN and turn it into a terrible monster... Because of this, the erosion might even spread to the real world."

"All the more reason why we have to save Erika, before this becomes permanent..." Richard reminded the hacker of what they must do to stop all of this.

"Let's get moving. We need to take out the Eater Legion, before the erosion spreads." Ryuji told everyone.

They continued through the corrupted landscape, as they fought off various types of Eaters, including a new type of Eaters, that looked like a swarm of Eater Bits orbiting a much larger one, which was capable of using the very same abilities that Digimon used, making the fight even more difficult for the hackers. Eventually, they managed to make their way to the server transfer pad, which seemed to be malfunctioning.

"Damnit, this thing is broken... Without it, we can't change to any other servers..." Chitose cursed, as he approached it, putting his user interface out. "Hold here for a moment, I can be able to fix this, but I need time."

"We'll give you the time you need, Chitose. Just hurry..." Richard answered back, before he then noticed a large group of Eaters coming. "Incoming! Everyone, prepare for battle!"

"They must have been drawn to the erosion caused by the Eater Legion! They might be forming their own network in EDEN!" Wormmon cried.

"Another layer of security in EDEN? Then that is what might have disabled this server transfer pad... In that case...!" Chitose replied back, as he continued to hack into the server transfer pad. "I'll keep on getting this thing fixed as quickly as possible!"

The Digimon partners immediately responded, as they attacked the vanguard of the Eater swarm, as they cut, slashed, shot and burned through the Eaters, as they fell by the dozen, all the while they were attacked from all sides, as the attacks were dealing negligible damage to them, but they were piling onto each other quickly without rest, as the Digimon were beginning to get weaker from exhaustion.

"Chitose, if you're done yet... Hurry up!" Richard shouted to Chitose. "Our Digimon won't be able to hold the line any longer if you keep on delaying the repairs!"

"I'm trying, I'm trying!" Chitose shouted back, before he then received a confirmation 'ping!' from his user interface, as the server transfer pad turned blue for stable use. "It's done!"

"We can't afford to get held up here! Come on!" Ryuji yelled, as everyone followed him, as they withdrew their Digimon, as they escaped from the Eater swarm, into another server in EDEN.

"We still don't have a clue where we are though..." Chitose groaned. "All the URLs have been useless so far, so we need to find another way to find Erika and that Eater who is trying to assimilate her."

The group then noticed a digital shadow of Erika walked past them, as she turned to them, before silently gesturing them to follow her.

"It's a shadow of Erika's memory, a virtual AI of her memory that leaked from her memory server." Wormmon said. 'She's calling us...!"

"Calling us? Hehe, then let's go and get her!" Chitose spoke with a smile on his face.

They soon followed the digital shadow, as it led them to another active server transfer pad, which took them into a different area, although Keisuke and Richard were surprised that they found something familiar in the area.

They found the massive device that was Erika's memory server, lying in the centre of the area.

"This is.. It's Erika's memory server!" Wormmon cried out in shock.

They then looked up, as they found the Eater that had Erika in its captivity, as Ryuji looked at it. "Erika!" Ryuji cried.

The Eater then entered the memory server, as the large devices flickered where it entered, leaving a purple mark as it entered the memory server.

"It went into the memory server!?" Sanae cried. "But that means...!?"

"It's going to erode Erika's memories... Without them, she'll be...!" Elma gasped in horror.

"No! I won't let that happen!" Keisuke cried, as he immediately chased towards the memory server, placing his hand on the central terminal to enter it.

"Keisuke! Wait, I'm coming to help!" Richard shouted, as he joined Keisuke.

They both logged into the memory server, both of their avatars disappearing from EDEN...


	30. Final: Hudiemon and Farewells

Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Final Chapter: Hudiemon and Farewells

* * *

 _In Erika's memory-scape...?_

Richard and Keisuke found themselves in a network passageway that seemed to be like the one that they saw in the Eater Network, except scenes of Erika's memories flashed around them in intervals.

"This... It's a combination of the Eater Network and Erika's memory-scape..." Richard commented on their surroundings. "I don't know whether to be surprised or worried about this..."

"Is this the inside of the Eater Network now?" Wormmon said, as he was quite concerned. "I can't believe that the memory server's been so badly eroded!"

They then saw a trail of digital shadows in front of them, all looking like Erika, as Wormmon realised that this was a hint to where they must go.

"It's Erika's memory! Follow it! It might lead us to her!" Wormmon told the other two members of the team now.

Keisuke and Richard followed after the trail for a while, before they were both engulfed in one of Erika's memories.

* * *

 _In Erika's memory..._

 _"Huh? You bringing someone new? I never expected that from you, Ryuji." Chitose asked Ryuji, as the two of them were sitting with Erika in her room._

 _"Just a regular kid, but he seems gutsy." Ryuji answered back._

"You seem happy. This is the first time I've seen you smile since you formed the team, brother."

"A new member joining Hudie... I'm sure he'll stay right by your side."

* * *

Richard and Keisuke looked at each other.

"That memory... It was just before you came into Hudie for the first time, right Keisuke?" Richard asked him.

"Seems like it. And did you hear Erika's thoughts?" Keisuke questioned bac. "She seemed to be... oddly satisfied."

"Don't overthink it for now. She won't give up yet." Richard responded.

They continued down the path, before they encountered another of Erika's memories.

* * *

 _In Erika's memory..._

"..."

"After all that has happened... I've been thinking about something..."

"What am I truly? Am I in the real world? In EDEN? Or somewhere else?"

"Back then, I couldn't answer that question Where am I? A digitised memory or a physical body?"

"If EDEN disappears, will I cease to exist? If my physical body dies, will the me still in EDEN be me?"

"Whenever I felt scared, I always thought about Hudie. My brother, Chitose, Wormmon, Keisuke, Richard, Gus, Antonio, Reimu, Sanae, and Elma... When I thought of them, I was definitely there."

"As long as that remains, I can still be me in here, even if I no longer exist out there someday."

"So... So it's okay."

"It's okay now."

* * *

Richard and Keisuke snapped out of their trance, as Keisuke paled after hearing Erika's words in her latest memory.

"What... Then wouldn't that mean...!?" Keisuke spoke in a fearful tone.

They then turned forward, as they found themselves come face-to-face with the Eater Legion, who was still clinging to the body of Erika.

"The Eater Legion..." Keisuke said with some anger bottled in his words.

"We found her!" Wormmon cried.

Soon enough, both of their Digivices rang, as they were receiving a message from Chitose and Ryuji.

"Hurry up! The erosion is speeding up!" Ryuji shouted.

"I can slow it down, but we're going to be out of time!" Chitose cried.

"Got it! We'll save Erika as fast as we can!" Richard answered back, before he then pulled the Digivice in front of him. "This is it, Keisuke. We have to win this fight, before Erika's memory server is completely eroded."

"I know! I won't let that happen!" Keisuke exclaimed back.

They summoned Kuro and HerculesKabuterimon, as they both prepared for battle. The Eater Legion also did so, as two of the Eater Bit swarms came to its side, and supported it.

"We'll need to first take care of the Eater Bit Swarms first." Richard said. "I doubt that the thing would summon those Eater Bits just for offensive support. Kuro, use Transcendent Sword!"

Kuro immediately executed the command, as he slashed across, as the two Eater Bit groups immediately shielded themselves in front of the Eater Legion, protecting it from any damage, as they themselves took the brunt of the attack, as some of their smaller drones broke apart from the attack.

"So it's true..." Keisuke said, observing how the Eater Bits were defending the Eater Legion. "We'll have to take them out before we can bring down the Eater Legion... HerculesKabuterimon, use Giga Blaster on the right one."

The beetle Digimon immediately responded by firing off his golden blast beam at the Eater Swarm, as it taken critical damage, as its only eyes fizzed out into darkness, but its body still remained.

"It's... defeated?" Keisuke commented, suspicious about why the larger Eater Bit master unit didn't fade away into data like the rest of the Eaters when defeated. "Then... why is it still there?"

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Richard muttered. "Kuro, use Supreme Cannon on the other Eater Bit. We'll need to take them both down if we want to hurt the Eater Legion."

Kuro immediately fired off his laser without a moment of hesitation, as it pierced through what remained of the Eater Bit Swarm, as the master unit fell down, powered down like its twin.

Soon, the Eater Legion began to react, as it immediately stuck a tentacle into each of the Eater Bits master units, with purple pulsing lights flowing through them into its allies. New Eater Bits appeared around them, and they powered back up again, with some of its power recovered.

"It can... recover them!?" Keisuke cried out in shock.

"Then we need to find a way to bring down the Eater Bit Swarms before the Eater Legion can restore them." Richard answered back. "It'll be tough, but we have to make it possible."

They continued to attack the Eater Bits, as they brought them down several times over with all they got, but each time they managed to down the Eater Bit Swarms, the Eater Legion replenished them just as quickly as they were defeated.

"Damnit... There's no signs of this stopping...!" Richard cursed. "We won't get anywhere if we keep on wildly attacking like this. And the memory server is still at the brink of complete erosion..."

"What do we do...?" Keisuke asked with some dread in his voice. "If we don't hurry, then Erika will...!"

"It's okay. You can stop now." Erika's voice could be heard in the server, as Richard and Keisuke immediately shot up straight hearing Erika talk.

A digital shadow of Erika appeared, although this one seemed to be more real and opaque compared to the others. Her expression will filled with worry and regret.

"The Eater erosion can't be stopped. Take the others and get out of here." Erika told Keisuke and Richard.

"...No! We're not giving up! Don't say that, Erika! We can't afford to lose you again, for real this time!" Keisuke answered back. "Just hang in there, Richard and I will save you!"

"Even if you destroyed the Eater, my body has been already fully assimilated to the Eater. I no longer have a physical body of my own anymore." Erika refuted back, with a shake of her head, as her expression became more and more grim. "If you kill it, I will cease to exist."

"No!" "Are we too late!?" Ryuji and Chitose's voices could be heard from the duo's Digivices, hearing Erika's words through them.

"Please go back. I can stop the erosion from spreading to the real world." Erika tried to persuade Richard and Keisuke. "I can't let the Eater get out, even if it costs me my life!"

"Don't say that... Don't you dare say that..." Richard spoke in a frustrated tone, before he then raised his voice. "Don't you want to go to the Digital World, a new world where you can live happily ever after!? Don't tell me you've given up on that!"

"Richard... I..." Erika tried to reply back.

"This can't be happening!" Wormmon cried, as he hopped off Keisuke's back as he crawled to Erika. "Erika wouldn't want that! That's not what I want! She didn't want to die. That's why she shared her memory with me. I'm Erika; She's me! I want what she wants! She wants to return to Hudie more than anyone else!"

Erika's digital shadow merely grimaced, as Wormmon began to tear up. "There's still so much she wants to see and do! Let's do it all!" Wormmon began to shake his head, as he looked up to Erika with tearful eyes. "Let's go to the Digital World together! It'll be an adventure! Ryuji, Chitose, Keisuke, Richard, everyone... all of us together! We're the unbeatable Hudie! We'll be the best hacker team in the Digital World!"

Erika's expression began to quiver, as she was fighting back the urge to cry, as her inner feelings were beginning to rise in her heart.

"You hear that? She still had so many dreams to fulfill." Chitose's voice rang from Richard's Digivice. "What can we do?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry, Erika. I've failed you as a big brother. But I know an apology is just words, so..." Ryuji said from Keisuke's Digivice, before his voice changed into one of emotion and feeling, as it was desperate and caring. "So from now on, I'll do whatever you want! Just come back! Erika! Whatever it takes! I'll take you anywhere you want to go! The Digital World or anywhere else!"

"I didn't think I'd ever hear you say anything like that." Chitose replied to Ryuji. "But come to think of it... I'm sure that we could be the greatest hacker team in the Digital World! Count me in, how about you, leaders!?"

"Yeah!" Keisuke cried, before he then slammed his fist into his open palm towards Erika. 'Don't worry, Erika. We won't let you go away this easily! We're going to make sure that you'll come back with us! After all, you were the one who showed me the world of Digimon for us."

"Me too." Richard said, before he then reached a hand out. "Come back, Erika... Everyone still cares for you, and none of us would ever want you to sacrifice yourself for everyone's sake. We'll beat those Eaters back where they belong, and you won't have to use your own life to ensure that everything is returned to normal. Because... you're our dearest friend, wherever or whenever we are."

"I... I... I...!" Erika began to tremble, as she was biting her lip, as she was trying to hold back her emotions as tears began to leak from her eyes, despite her being a digital shadow.

She then looked up, as she cried to the duo. "I want to go, too... with all of you!" She cried from the bottom of her heart.

A blue light surrounded Erika and Wormmon, although Keisuke and Richard could see what was happening inside of the growing ball of light.

Erika walked to Wormmon, before she picked him up, and hugged him to her chest, as her feet left the ground, as she was turning in the air, as both of their eyes were looking into each other's.

"Erika..." Wormmon said. "I... I love you."

"Wormmon... I..." Erika answered back, before she then nuzzled him with the side of her head, as she smiled. "I love you... too."

Erika then reached Wormmon out, as her body began to shimmer into blue crystal-clear shards, as they flowed into Wormmon, creating a massive ball of light-blue light that engulfed the Digimon, growing slowly until it engulfed both Erika and Wormmon.

As the white light subsided, they could see a figure that was covered by two large elegant blue butterfly wings, as they slowly unfurled to reveal the figure, which was a feminine Digimon with fair skin and light-blue hair. It wears a blueish grey helmet with yellow insect-like eyes and light blue armor cut to expose its thighs. The armor has a yellow fur-trimmed collar. It also has large blue butterfly-like wings on its helmet, and a blue showgirl skirt cut like a butterfly's wings, with silver boots that have yellow tips. In its arms, it held a glowing Erika, who was slowly fading into light.

"Woah..." Richard blurted out. "This is... truly mesmerising..."

The Digimon looked at the fading Erika in its arms, as Erika smiled at it, before then resting her head back, and closing her eyes, as her body dissolved in light.

"Farewell... My past self..." The Digimon intoned, as she looked up to the light particles, as she wrapped her arms over her chest, as if she was still trying to clutch what remained of Erika in her arms.

The blue light then faded away, as the new Digimon was back in dark atmosphere that was the formed Eater Network.

"Is that you... Erika...? Wormmon?" Keisuke asked, as he was unsure of what the Digimon was.

"I am Hudiemon. As for your question... I am both... much like Susanoomon." Hudiemon introduced herself, before she turned to the Eater Legion. "But I'll explain to you later! First, let's finish this!"

"Right...!" Keisuke cried, before both he and Richard returned to the fight, as the light from before seemed to have restored Kuro's and HerculeKabuterimon's strength to fight.

Kuro and HerculesKabuterimon immediately brought the Eater Bit swarms down again, as they shut down, awaiting for their recovery from the Eater Legion.

"The Eater Bits are stopping us from attacking the Legion. And even if we defeat them one by one, the Legion will just recover from that." Hudiemon stated, before she then gave a smile to Richard and Keisuke. "Don't worry. Leave it to me! It's time for me to step up!"

Hudiemon then stood in front of the Eater Legion and the Eater Bits, before she crossed her arms over herself. "Infinity Dream!"

She then unfolded her arms, as her body pulsated with light-green energy, as it was unleashed in the form of a massive green halo that enveloped the Eater Bits, as they seemed to have slowed down, and some of their actions failed due to their gained lethargy.

"What the...!? The Eaters... They're losing the will to move!?" Richard exclaimed.

"They've slowed down! Go now!" Hudiemon told Kuro and HerculesKabuterimon.

The three of them immediately took down the remaining Eater Bit swarm, as they piled their attacks upon each other, as they took down the Eater Legion quickly, before it could try to restart the master units of the Eater Bit swarms.

"It's the end! Flying Kick!" Hudiemon cried, as she jumped into the air, as she kicked right through the Eater Legion with a foot encased with blue energy, dealing the finishing blow on the Eater Legion.

The Eater Legion then convulsed and twisted, as red cracks and tears began to appear around its body, as red light shone out of them, before it then exploded into a massive burst of light that blinded everyone.

"Farewell... Me..." Hudiemon spoke in a combination of Erika's voice, Wormmon's voice and her own.

* * *

 _In EDEN..._

Everyone looked at the memory server with worry in their expressions and eyes, as Keisuke and Richard went silent.

"Communications have been down for a while now. What's happening?" Chitose asked.

"I don't know... But I hope that Wormmon, Keisuke and Richard have made it out safe..." Gus answered back. "It looks like that there's nothing to tell us what is going on in there."

Soon enough, Richard and Keisuke were ejected from the memory server, as they landed on the ground with both feet, intact, as Hudiemon flew out of it as well.

"It's over. The Eater Legion is gone." Hudiemon told everyone.

"That voice... Are you... Erika!?" Ryuji questioned Hudiemon.

"It's not that simple. I am her, and yet I am not her." Hudiemon responded back with a shake of her head. "Wormmon's and Erika's mental data has become unified to create me. I'm a new Erika, that the old Erika has willed into being. But look at me, the new me is pretty cool, huh? What do you think?"

Hudiemon smiled casually, as she twirled around before striking a pose, as everyone was literally left unamused at how Wormmon's playful nature carried into Hudiemon, as Richard and Keisuke could barely stifle a chuckle at how Hudiemon's other side was showing.

"I dunno what to think. It's definitely Erika's voice, but somehow it reminds me of Wormmon." Chitose commented. "Is this even possible? What do you make of it, Ryuji?"

"Sorry... I need a little time." Ryuji groaned, as he clutched his head in shame.

"Yeah! So would I if my sister had just turned into a Digimon! That's perfectly understandable!" Chitose agreed loudly with a confused expresion.

"So... I guess you're Erika and Wormmon at the same time?" Elma asked back. "That seems... quite strange."

"Well, if you still are Erika in some way, I believe that you're still the same Erika who helped us all this time." Keisuke told Hudiemon.

"Hehe..." Hudiemon chuckled. "That's nice to hear!"

"Well...I have to say, It's not exactly how I envisioned it happening, but at least now Hudie is back together." Chitose said with some relief. "I'm not too bothered about the details. The main thing is we've got you back, Erika, in some way or the other! We were worried sick!"

"Right. Whatever you look like, you're still you, little sister." Ryuji added with a smile. "Welcome back, Erika."

"Thanks! Good to be back!" Erika/Hudiemon answered back.

Suddenly the area around them began to rumble, as everyone went on their guard.

"Oh, what now!?" Richard growled, before he then noticed Eaters from all directions rushed at Erika's memory server, as they attached to every single free space on it. "The Eaters... They're gathering at Erika's memory server!? But why?"

"Legion is gone, but EDEN is still being eroded. The effects of Erika's ghost has spread so far..." Erika/Hudiemon answered back. "When the Eater Legion assimilated Erika's vast memory, it acquired a temporary 'ghost'. That ghost then spread to the other Eaters in EDEN through the Eater Network. Erika's memory server was the core of that ghost, and they gathered to attempt to unify it. But there are no more traces of Erika in that server. So they're now consuming each other in pursuit of a alternative to the core, and try to evolve into something else!"

"Something else!?" Ryuji cried, before everyone turned their attention to the memory server, which was absorbing the Eaters coming at it.

It slowly lifted itself into the air, as it showed the lower half that was hidden under the ground, as golden light halos appeared around it, as the lights on it glowed with a eerie purple-gold colour, as it slowly began to open itself, as parts of it slowly clicked out of position, before all of the 'shell' that was the memory server was expelled, as a new being was created, a writhing mass of Eater parts, with a large trunk of tentacles that connect it to the ground, as if it was a tree. The fragments of the 'shell' orbited the new Eater body.

"What the... It looks like... some sort of organic tree..." Reimu remarked on what she saw with awe.

"The Eaters have evolved into a new entity with Erika's memory server as its shell, and that temporary 'ghost' as its core." Erika/Hudiemon described the new Eater being before them right now. "Reimu is nearly correct about her assumption. It is akin to a tree whose roots are spreading amongst EDEN. Like the Tree of Eden in God's garden, it is the 'Eater EDEN'."

The Eater EDEN immediately roared in pain, as it caused almost all of the tamers to cover their ears.

"The ghost inside is causing the Eater pain. Assimilating the whole of EDEN must have increased that pain." Erika/Hudiemon said. "Because EDEN has logged and accumulated vast amounts of human mental data, emotions and feelings... It has become twisted. More than anything, the Eater wants to return to where it used to be. It has two of 'my' memories: Curiosity and homesickness. They seem to be different, but they are the one and same in this case. It wants to escape this small world, see a whole new world, and then go back to where it belongs. That's how I felt, and now it wants the same."

"Is that so... Then it must be because of the suffering that the Eater is trying to erode EDEN, in order to achieve its purpose." Gus replied in a grim tone.

"It's another Erika, just like myself, evolved from her past self." Erika/Hudiemon answered back. "But it cannot be allowed to live, or else, everything will be in danger. It is a shell of what Erika used to be, with all of the pain and sorrow inside of it. So destroying it is a release that the old Erika has yearned for. But I do this also because I too want to send it back where it belongs. Even if it's only my ghost."

"Then we'll have to fight EDEN itself? I don't like the odds, but..." Antonio answered back, as he pulled out his Digivice with a smirk. "I'm not one to rely on the odds to decide my battles."

"This is really it." Richard told everyone on his team. "Keisuke, you with us till the end?"

"Absolutely." Keisuke answered back. "Let's end this for once and all. Ryuji, Chitose, we'll take care of this ourselves."

"In that case, there's just this one last thing Erika wants you to do!" Hudiemon told them all. "Let's send this Eater back where it belongs!"

Everyone summoned their Digimon partners, as they immediately prepared for battle.

"This is it, huh? One last fight?" Kuro asked Richard, who nodded back. "To be honest, I'm glad that I got to meet you, Richard. I never thought that I would be able to go so far with you. All those fights, all those moments. You covering my back, and me fighting for the sake of you and your friends."

"Same to you, Kuro." Richard answered back. "All I want from you is for you to stay by my side. We make a great team together, and since everyone's Digimon partners have grown onto my friends... I'd say that the same would go for all of you."

"Hey, Gus... Even though I never got my chance to surpass Kuro like I once promised... I don't need to compete with Kuro anymore. I have a new purpose, and that's to protect everyone. You showed me what you would do back in Under Zero, saving countless lives." Sun admitted. "If I can achieve even a small portion of that, then I'll be happy to be called your partner."

"Sun..." Gus replied back, as he smiled back. "You don't have to say that. No matter what, you'll always be my partner."

"Hey, Antonio, I wonder if I'll eventually make it to becoming as fast as you!" Bolt spoke to Antonio with a grateful tone. "Over the time, I came to learn about you as a person, and I want to say that I'm glad that I have a speed freak as my own tamer partner. It's fitting that two speed maniacs are great partners, right?"

"Damn right." Antonio grunted back. "We're going to be going together at the speed of starlight, as partners side-to-side!"

"My holy maiden, just as our ally, Richard has said... I wish the same, as I want to stay by your side." Ran intoned. "And with Susanoomon by our side in spirit... I am willing to do everything to ensure that both his and your wills are carried out, for everyone's sake."

"Ran... If that's what you truly feel..." Reimu spoke, before she then smiled. "Then I'm glad to have you be my servant, no, my own shikigami. Better not disappoint, the standards of being one of the Hakurei is a job that you can't slack on, especially with me supervising."

"Hey, Sanae, I wonder... What will we do after this is all over?" Aya asked Sanae with a curious tone. "I want to see the Digital World myself... Because I want to see the world that I would have been born in... Maybe I might meet more of my kin in there."

"We'll go everywhere and anywhere, Aya." Sanae assured Aya. "When we are done, we'll be going to places that could never be imagined before."

"Adam... I..." Elma muttered in a meek tone.

"Don't worry. I know what you're going to say, Elma." Adam interrupted her with a wide grin. "I'll be by your side, as your guardian. If there's no-one that you can rely on, you can rely on me, the one who will become a Demon Lord. Even if I may be lauded as a manifestation of evil, I will never forget my friendship and bond to those who would aid me, and my own oath to you, Elma. Quite fitting, if we're brother and sister as demons of different lineages, hehe..."

The Digimon then rose up to the skies, as they entered their final battle.

"Eat this! Supreme Cannon!" Kuro raised his laser cannon at the core of Eater EDEN, as it pierced through the shell plating that was trying to protect it, as it seared into the core, causing the writhing mass of Eaters to cry in pain.

Gus and Antonio immediately connected their Digivices, as they DNA-Digivolved Sun and Bolt, as they turned into Eclipse, with his weapon already ready.

"For the sake of those who pursue equality and life, I will fight until the end!" Eclipse declared, as he raised his weapon to the skies. "Heaven's Thunder!"

Eclipse fired off his blast into the air, as the resulting golden vortex rained thunder upon Eater EDEN, as it tore down more and more of its protective shell.

The Eater EDEN immediately reacted, as a dark-purple aura began to gather around it, while the shell shifted back into place.

"Everyone, prepare yourselves!" Kuro warned the Digimon allies. "This thing is about to unleash a powerful attack! Get behind me and Eclipse! We'll protect you all!"

The other Digimon immediately took notice of the warning from Kuro, as they got themselves behind Kuro and Eclipse, as they immediately defended, with Kuro using the flat end of the blade as a make-shift shield, while Eclipse transferred energy into his cannon, as it created a small golden barrier to defend the group.

Soon after, the Eater EDEN then fired off a massive powerful dark pulse that caused the shell to open again, as everyone on the ground immediately resisted against its force, while Kuro and Eclipse resisted the attack, as the dark aura pushed against their defences, until the assault on them was over.

"It's weak now... We have to finish this!" Kuro ordered everyone. "Everyone, attack with all you got!"

"I will assist, Kuro!" Ran cried, as she swirled her staff around. "Amethyst Mandala!"

She then jammed her staff down in the air, as a large purple runic circle appeared, as pink waves of sakura petals appeared, as they cut into the Eater EDEN's shell, as the core was beginning to become vulnerable.

"Here's my part! Mourning Dance!" Aya shouted, as she immediately drew her katana on the side, as she raised her clawed hand up, before she rushed at the Eater Eden, before she then slashed across the shell with high-speed strikes that could only be seen as purple streaks to the naked eye, using both of her weapons, before she then stopped in front of the Eater EDEN, and doing a full-revolution slice with her two wings, as it cut through even more of the shell pieces of the Eater being.

"Let's see if you can handle this, Eater!" Adam cried, as he raised his cannon. "Taste my full power! Corona Destroyer!"

He then traced out a golden 5-pointed star with his cannon, as it slowly developed into a golden pentagram encased in a large circular rune, before he then aimed his cannon through it, as the sides opened like a jaw, and a large purple ball of energy developed inside of the open muzzle, before he then fired it, as the pentagram amplified it into a massive purple beam that seared the core, destroying what remains of the shell pieces, making the core completely vulnerable.

"HerculesKabuterimon! Use Giga Blaster! We can finally hit the core of the Eater EDEN!" Keisuke ordered his Digimon partner, who immediately fired off his golden blast beam, as it directly hit the core, causing parts of it to be destroyed and damaged, as the actions of the core slowed down.

"This is it...!" Kuro said. "Eclipse... Let's finish this once and for all! We're going to save EDEN and both of our worlds!"

"Then let me lend my power to you!" Eclipse responded back with spirit. "All of you, pass on your power to me and Kuro! We will bring about the decisive strike that will come!"

Every other Digimon immediately nodded, as they dispelled their own weapons into data that flowed into Kuro's blade and Eclipse's cannon.

"We're counting on you!" Keisuke cried, as he watched as HerculesKabuterimon give off its energy to Kuro, as his blade began to glow brighter and brighter.

The human tamers gave their support to the two Digimon, as their Digivices created a data stream that slowly fed itself into their weapons, as they weapons grew more potent and stronger.

"Just... a little... more!" Kuro exclaimed, before his blade began to shine completely with a blue light, while Eclipse's own weapon had a rainbow light in all of its eyes and mouths. "Alright... This is our final strike! The power that we have created from our bonds!"

"We will show you the power that lies within all humans and Digimon!" Eclipse cried, as his visor clicked down over his eyes. "May you find peace, Eater EDEN!"

They both readied their weapons, as they grew from the energy and power they received, as they prepared their combination attack.

"DIVINE...! CROOOOSSSSS!" Both of them cried, as they slashed as one, as their attacks left behind the rainbow cross-slash mark on the core, as Eater EDEN immediately stopped from the mortal attack on its core.

The Digimon backed away, as Eater EDEN began to explode on various parts of its body, as parts of it began to break down from the damage, while static began to appear around it. Eventually, the damage was too much for the Eater, as it exploded in a mighty flash of light that engulfed all of EDEN.

" **Thank...** **Y...o...u...** " Everyone heard a distorted voice say, as Keisuke and Richard assumed it to be the dying consciousness of the Eater EDEN.

When the light subsided, they found themselves in the restored version of EDEN, as the landscape was no long corrupted or eroded by Eater influence, as the rings of blue data could be seen in the horizon, and the digital structures were back to normal, in both state and position.

"Hey, look around...!" Chitose told everyone, before he then saw the repaired EDEN, as he cheered with his hands up. "EDEN's back to normal! Yeah! We did it!"

Reimu and Sanae hugged each other, as Gus and Antonio bumped their fists together in congratulations, while Richard smiled at the resolution of the crisis, and Elma was almost about to join Chitose in his celebration, before she then settled with taking in the complete view that she could see now.

"Now... We can go back to Hudie...!" Chitose said, as he turned to Keisuke, Ryuji and Hudiemon. "I know that you're a Digimon now, Erika, but that's not a problem right? The Digital Shift is still there, so you can still come back to the real world with us! We're going to finally be together after all of this!"

"When we get back... We're going to find a way to the Digital World." Keisuke said. "This time, we won't have to worry about the Eaters anymore."

"...Thank you, all of you." Erika/Hudiemon answered back, before her smile dropped a little. "But... I'm afraid... that my time here is about to come to an end."

Richard heard what Erika/Hudiemon said, as his smile disappeared, while everyone was shocked, before they saw the world flicker around them.

"What is it!?" Chitose cried. "Don't tell me... that something bad is going to happen!?"

"The world is starting to transform." Erika stated. "So everything has finally come to an end..."

"Transform!? What do you mean?" Ryuji asked.

"I... Erika saw a battle in the Eater Network." Erika/Hudiemon answered back. "Somewhere far away, the 'chosen ones' saved the world and made a big decision. A decision that would restore both worlds to what it is prior. As a result, the world will be overwritten... as a world where Digimon and human never met."

Both tamers and Digimon were shocked to hear that, except Richard, who didn't seem to be disturbed.

"David, you son of a bitch, you actually done it... You saved Tokyo by restoring King Drasil..." Richard muttered, inaudible to anyone but himself.

"Huh? What do you mean? And what will happen to us?' Chitose asked, as he didn't know what was going on.

"I don't know, but maybe we'll all go back to being human again." Erika/Hudiemon responded back. "Such miracles will be commonplace, all around the world. Those struck with EDEN Syndrome will come back to reality."

"Really!?" Ryuji cried.

"Yeah! In that case, bring on that transformation!" Chitose whooped.

"But... there won't be just good things..." Richard told the Hudie members, who turned to him. "...Keisuke, Ryuji... Do you remember where you first met me? And my friends?"

"What do you mean...?" Keisuke said, before he then realised what Richard was saying, and paled. "No... Don't... Don't tell me...!"

Gus noticed what Richard meant, as he could only grimly shake his head, as they knew what was going to happen to them.

"Richard is being right." Erika/Hudiemon told the others. "Some things won't change, despite this world-changing transformation. The future where Erika will die from illness cannot be altered. And because that there will be no more digital space... Erika will be fated to die. As she has become the butterfly that will guide the path for a new world. It is unfair, but that is why these miracles exist. So... I have to make a choice, I will return to the Digital World as Hudiemon, or I will stay as Erika."

"Erika, what are you saying!?" Ryuji shouted back.

"I'm happy that you've come to save me." Erika/Hudiemon stated in a grateful tone, as there was some sadness in it. "What I am now is a miracle that we have created. Whatever happens from now on, don't forget that. And now... I must say goodbye..."

Soon lights began to envelop everyone, as they looked at each other, then themselves.

"I love you all." Erika/Hudiemon smiled with a single tear leaking down from her helmet-covered face.

"Erika! Wait-!?" Ryuji tried to say, as he reached for Hudiemon, as he disappeared from EDEN with Chitose in pillars of blue light.

"I guess.. we're going to be back at the same-old, same-old?" Richard asked everyone in his group. "What will happen to Kuro... and the others?"

"I don't know... But I can only hope that they'll come with us..." Gus answered back. "It would be... heart-breaking if we would be separated from them."

"Maybe so, but one day, we might actually meet again, and we'll be back together like the groups of partners we are." Antonio tried to cheer up them both with a smile. "As long as we remember each other, there is nothing that will stop us from having our reunion."

Keisuke then turned to Hudiemon, as he tried to reach for her, before he and everyone disappeared from EDEN.

* * *

 _In the intersection between worlds..._

"I hope they have heard the last thing I said." Erika/Hudiemon asked with some worry, as she stood on the golden bridge.

"I'm sure they did." Wormmon's voice could be heard in response, as Hudiemon smiled.

The group then reappeared in front of Hudiemon, as they were all in front of her.

"What the...!? This... This is... What is this place!?" Keisuke asked, as he looked around. "It looks and... feels so much different to the cyberspace we were familiar with."

When he turned his eyes back to Hudiemon, he was instead greeted by the sight of Erika in front of them.

"Couldn't you have just said goodbye?" Erika asked.

"I... I can't..." Keisuke admitted, as he was feeling very emotional at the moment.

"The world has transformed, just like I said." Erika stated. "But you were brought to this place between dimensions along with me, so you haven't been affected yet."

"Affected by what? The loss of memory?" Keisuke questioned back. "I don't want to forget! All those times, all those people we met! Especially you, Erika, everyone!"

Erika then turned into Wormmon. "You remember what Suedou said, don't you?" He asked Keisuke. "There's nothing we can do about it. But there is something I can only do now that we're in the cusp of the transformation."

Wormmon turned back into Hudiemon. "I made my choice. I'm going to the Digital World, as Hudiemon." Hudiemon answered back. "By inheriting Erika's memories, Wormmon has become a new vessel for her. So Wormmon and Erika have become one. That is me. I will live on as a Digimon, so I can't go back to Hudie."

"Don't be stupid!" Keisuke yelled back. "What about your brother!? What you Detective Matayoshi!? Everyone!? What about... me?"

Hudiemon then transformed back into Erika, as her head was bowed, and her expression was melancholic. "I do want to go back. I want you stay with you all, in the place that I love. I wish I could go back to Hudie, and be with you and everyone." She replied back, before she shook her head. "But... think about it... I won't have long to live if I go back to the real world. My death would be a heavier burden than my leave, for my big brother, and all of you. I don't want anyone else to suffer because of me, after all of this. And more than that, I don't want to lose this form... or these memories."

Erika turned into Wormmon, who looked back up. "I wasn't the only one who willed Hudiemon into existence back there. Ryuji... my brother, Chitose, Keisuke, Richard, everyone else. The wish for Erika to survive gave birth to this form." Wormmon continued from where Erika left off. "A human, a Digimon, and all of the world's memory data recorded by EDEN... That's Hudiemon... She's EDEN's child and successor."

Wormmon shifted back into Hudiemon. "I am the world's memories. But if I change back into a human, I'll forget everything. Happy things, sad things... Everything that's happened in this world." Hudiemon concluded. "So I don't want to lose them, by changing back. We all created this miracle together. I can't bring it to a end this soon. I won't just blindly accept my fate. So I will be reborn as Hudiemon and hold on to EDEN's memories. And go to the Digital World that I, Erika, had dreamed of, and see things that I would never seen before, have adventures, and learn new and amazing things. I can do that now, and this is the only chance I can do all that... So.."

Hudiemon then gave Keisuke a gentle farewell smile. "So... will you see me off?" She asked Keisuke.

Keisuke was silent, as he bowed his head, as tears began to leak from his eyes, as he sniffed while shaking his head. "I'm... I'm still not ready.."

"And why is that?" Hudiemon asked. "Perhaps... you don't want me to go alone?"

"That's right. Since you're a Digimon like us..." Kuro's voice could be heard behind her. "...You're going to be our close buddy."

Everyone saw that all of their Digimon partners could be seen behind them, as Ryuji's Coredramon could be seen, and Chitose's Ankylomon was there as well.

 _(For best experience, play Butter-Fly Piano Version arranged by Chiwata Hednori from Digimon ~Tri~)_

"My brother's and Chitose's Digimon! And everyone's Digimon partners!" Hudiemon cried in surprise. "Did they all follow you here?"

"Not quite... We came here like you did, Hudiemon, no... Erika." Sun answered back.

"Please don't leave us, Erika! We don't want to be without you!" Aya exclaimed. "If you go... Then how am I supposed to be happy?"

"If I'm going to be separated from my Elma. Then I may as well make my friends among these lovable pals of mine." Adam said. "But... since you're still Erika of Hudie... We're going to be with you."

"I wonder what the Digital World will be like..." Ran wondered. "Perhaps... I might be able to meet more of my own kin, and meet other things that would remind me of my holy maiden, you... Reimu Hakuten."

"I sure will miss you, Antonio." Bolt admitted, as he shook his head sadly. "After everything that we have done together, it's so hard for all of us to say goodbye to all of you."

"Richard... It's been a true honour meeting you." Kuro replied, as he knelt down before Richard. "Ever since that day, when we first met under such bad terms, we eventually grew to know each other, even if our time was short. I remember the times where you took care of me, and when you ensured that I'd be able to survive every single battle, with victory."

"Hahaha! So this is the birth of a new Hudie?" Hudiemon chuckled.

"No... It's not... it's the birth of something greater." Richard answered back, as he walked to Kuro and Hudiemon. "Because... It's time that I tell the truth. About what happened in Under Zero, about who we truly are..."

All of the Digimon in the area were shocked, as they were intrigued in what Richard was going to say, as his friend walked and stood beside him.

"To tell you the truth... We're not exactly normal." Gus added. "When we fought back in Under Zero, we were fighting with our genuine power. No tricks, no modifications."

"Wait, then why are you all so strong then, compared to the other humans!?" Bolt asked back surprised.

"That's because... we were dragged into this world." Sanae responded back. "We...don't exactly belong here, which is why we too will disappear from this world."

Keisuke was shocked beyond words, as he heard that Richard and his friends were going to be gone.

"It's time I tell you the truth, Keisuke... Hudiemon... Everyone... Kuro..." Richard stated, as he shook his head. "The truth is that... we ended up here when we were transferring between worlds through the use of a teleporter. When we tried, we were suddenly hijacked by a digital entity that wanted us to come to this world. When that happened, we were separated from each other. And from there... Our stories here started, from the first time we met, Kuro... I'm sorry I never told you the truth, but I didn't know what it'll take for you all to believe me, and handle the shock that comes with it."

"We were a group of dimensional travellers, where these two worlds were a few out of the near-infinite many in this vast existence." Reimu answered back. "We have been to so many worlds, as we did so many things there... But in truth, this kind of thing is something that is at such a big scale that we believe that we have influenced the future here... and we feel like we grew some attachment to this world... despite how it and us aren't exactly fit to match each other."

"So that was it..." Adam said. "I truly felt that Elma seemed to feel like a demon when I bonded with her. Guess those instincts were correct. Even so, I'm even more proud of having a true demon of a lady as my partner. Because I feel that we're finally of the same race, and that we have the same ideals. But that doesn't mean that I won't change to be the person that she needs."

"Adam..." Elma muttered, as she smiled a little back. "Thank you..."

Richard then turned back to Keisuke, as he walked up to him, as they silently stared at each other.

"So... Keisuke... I guess this is farewell for reals." Richard answered back, before he then snorted. "To be honest... When I ventured with you, I felt something that I never felt for a long time... the joy of being the kind of hero who would help those in other worlds to conquer their crises. In fact, all this time, when you have stuck by my side for so long, that I myself... can't bear to leave you."

Richard then closed his eyes, before he sighed deeply, as he placed a hand on Keisuke's shoulder. "But after so long... I have lost the ability to comfort people in this situation. So I won't try to exploit your feels here, well, not intentionally." Richard continued, before he took a deep breath, as he looked at Keisuke, and spoke in a clear voice. "No matter what happens, no matter how dire the times will be... Remember that even if memories are lost, and that existence has changed permanently... Once a bond is made... It will never fade away, no matter how one tries... Because love and friendship are a power that can only be weakened, but never completely destroyed, despite all who believe so. Our bond is one such thing. So I tell you this, Keisuke... I ask that when you are left with the memories of this event, that you will cherish them forever, because it is the undeniable proof that the mystical beings known as Digimon, and the people who travelled through time and space, the Unmei Force ever existed. I can only bless you with a life filled with hope and happiness, because it's the only that I can guarantee you'll strive for."

Richard then tapped Keisuke's forehead, as a small black runic marking appeared on his head, before it faded away.

"There. With this in effect, the nullification will prevent you from losing any of your memories of all of this." Richard said, before he lowered his arm back down. "So I tell you, Keisuke... What do you desire the most?"

"Richard... I... I..." Keisuke began to break down into tears, as he tried his best to not to sob, as Richard's words touched him even more, along with Erika's own in Hudie's farewell. "I... want... to at least send you all off... with a... hug..."

Richard gently smiled. "Then why not do that?" Richard said, before he then whistled with his fingers, getting everyone to turn to him. "Let's give Keisuke a massive group hug! You too, Erika! Go back to your cute girl form! I promise you'll feel all better with this!"

"If... If you insist." Hudiemon stated, as she transformed into Erika, before she was grabbed by Sanae by the collar. "Wha..!?"

The members of the Unmei Force immediately hugged Keisuke from different directions, as Richard was the one to hug him on the front, as Erika was in the middle of the hugs, the other recipients of them, as Gus and Antonio gave Keisuke a few shoulder-pats to comfort him.

"See you later, Keisuke. You'll always be known as the coolest hacker I ever met." Antonio assured Keisuke.

"I'll never forget you, Keisuke." Gus told the hacker. "You'll always have us as your friends, no matter how far away we are."

"Cheer up, Keisuke! One day, we might actually come back here, and we'll be able to enjoy with our Digimon the good times!" Sanae smiled.

"Don't worry, when we come back, we'll make sure to give you the best day you'll ever have." Reimu smirked.

"I'll always remember you, Big Brother... Keisuke." Elma spoke in a adorable tone.

"There, there. Let it all out." Richard encouraged Keisuke to cry out all of his sorrow and regret, so that he'll be better. "You'll become a better person from all of this, I promise it."

The passageway immediately began to flash, as the passage was about to split apart to send the recipients back to where they belonged.

"It's time..." Erika answered back, as everyone separated from their massive group hug, as she faced Keisuke, as she smiled, and waved goodbye to Keisuke. "Tell my brother and Chitose... I'll miss them."

Wormmon then appeared from behind Erika, as he wriggled in front. "I won't say goodbye!" He said with a determined tone. "Even after this world's changed, it will still be connected to the Digital World, so..."

Erika and Wormmon fused back together, as Hudiemon had her arm crossed over her heart. "I'm sure we'll meet again, all of us, Keisuke." She spoke in a warm tone.

Keisuke then disappeared, as he saw the Digimon wave back at him. He did manage to catch a final glimpse of his HerculesKabuterimon, who was waving at him.

" **Goodbye... Keisuke...** " He spoke in Tentomon's voice. " **I... I hope you'll come back and we'll be together again...** "

After he disappeared, the partner Digimon went back to the sides of their partner.

"So... What about the other partner Digimon?" Kuro asked, referring to HerculesKabuterimon, Coredramon and Ankylomon.

"I'm sure they'll be returned to the Digital World, as per their wishes." Richard answered back. "I'm sure HerculesKabuterimon is going to be just peachy, being the king of the forests. The other two? I'm sure they'll pair up."

As soon as Richard said all of that, the three Digimon immediately vanished, as Richard chuckled. "Well, I guess that they get a early-send off, a bit later than our pal Keisuke... But still quite early..."

He then turned to Hudiemon. "So... Have you thought about it? Be a part of our group. There's no way that I could let someone like you waste her time in just the Digital World, when there are thousands more to see, and many more people to meet, and things to see!" Richard said with a persuasive tone. "We'll ensure that you'll have friends that will stick to the end, no matter what. So... What do you say, Erika? Care to give the Unmei Force, our team, someone that we can rely on for a guiding hand?'

Hudiemon remained silent, before she smiled and nodded. "Alright, but only because you've been so nice and you always done so much despite having no promises about it." She said. "I can't wait to see what's in store for us."

"Um... But if we're not going to the Digital World, then where are we going?" Bolt asked. "Just a little worried."

"I'm sure that a certain being has plans for that. As for us... We're going to where we were supposed to be." Richard said. "After all..."

He then looked up, as he smiled. "That's what you would have wished for King Drasil to do for us, huh, David?" Richard replied. "Truly like a hero... One that I share some camiederie inside my heart."

The entire passage was engulfed in a bright light, as everyone disappeared from the passageway, and the entire world...

 _(This would be where the music stops, and there will be another insert song.)_

* * *

 _In the Underworld Castle..._

Richard and the others immediately appeared in the throne room, as the Overlord Sisters immediately ganged up on Elma, cuddling her to her chests, and hugging her tightly.

"Oh, Elma!" Levia cried with worry, as some tears leaked from her eyes. "I heard from Richard's friends that something had happened. I cannot blame them for what has happened, but I am worried sick for when you'll come back!"

"Elma's back! Yay! Now we can enjoy some sweets together!" Perpell cheerfully cried with pure joy.

"I'm glad that our sister were back safe and sound." Mammon said, before she turned to Reimu. "Hey, Reimu. If you been gone for so long, you must have found some great treasure where you were right?"

"I did." Reimu answered back, as she clutched her heart lightly with one hand. "...It's a treasure without a price."

"You're finally back! If you were gone, I'd be so frustrated and angry now!" Ruche sharply shouted. "What were you thinking, being gone for so long!? Not like that I'm worried about you, when you have your friends with you..."

"Oh my, I can see that little Elma has matured a little from wherever she went." Ashmedia chuckled in a teasing manner. "Soon enough, we'll have Elma being quite a real leader."

Zeabolos and Cerberus burst in, as Cerberus immediately yipped and barked, as it dashed towards Elma, and giving her a few loving licks to her face with his three heads, as Elma laughed and giggled from the dog's loving gesture. Zeabolos walked up to Richard.

"It seems that you've finally returned." Zeabolos stated, before he smiled. "And it seems like that you have been on quite an adventure, Richard. Care to recount the tale with us?"

"Oh yes, it's a very long one..." Richard answered back, before he then looked up to the skies. "...And one that is far more worth than just listening... You'll feel yourself inside of it."

' _Keisuke... Wherever you are... I hope that you'll be able to move on from all of ... the good times might actually remind you that we'll return someday... No matter what._ ' He thought to himself.

* * *

 _In the aerial-fortess of the Unmei Force..._

Nitori was sighing relief, as several of the staff were cheering in the teleporter room, as they have tried endlessly to recover Richard and the other lost members, as their signatures on the system returned, indicating that they are back in their worlds. She wiped some sweat off her fore-head with a cloth.

"Whew... I don't know whether or not we helped to bring them back..." Nitori huffed. "But... no matter what... Richard's back with everyone else. And for this point, it's all that matters."

Suddenly her terminal received a message from Richard, as she opened it,as it showed the pixel versions of the team's Digimon.

' **Cherish them, Nitori. They're our newest allies. Look up the Digimon knowledge if you must. Find a way to materialise them into the real world. They're quite powerful for Digtal Monsters, especially my dear Kuro... Tell them when they finally come out, that me and the others are waiting for them -Richard'** The message read.

Nitori looked at the message, and its strange package, before she only sighed in a amused manner.

"Well... This is a whole new level of strange from Richard." Nitori chuckled. "But what can I expect? He's tutored under 'her', after all."

She then downloaded the data into a portable USB, as she left the room, preparing to fulfil her role as the team's genius engineer and scientist.

* * *

 _Back in the Digimon universe..._

' _I saw the world transform from a place between_ _dimensions._ 'Keisuke thought. ' _Just as Erika said, it was a world without Digimon. There was no more cyberspace called EDEN. People lived their lives in the real world. One by one, the memories of the adventures faded from everyone's mind, except my own... That's when I made my promise... One that I'll never forget with the memories I kept. I'll never let go of those memories of our struggle, all the things we fought for and sought to achieve. Richard, Erika, everything that led up to their departures... Forever._ '

Keisuke then woke up in the real world with a gasp, as he was standing on the junction that was close to Hudie.

"Am I... Am I back in the real world?" Keisuke asked himself, as he scanned his surroundings, as the city has returned back to normal. "Seems like it..."

As he walked, he noticed that the large digital billboards were broadcasting a scene with David on it.

"People of Tokyo. My fellow breathren. Most of you may not know me, but for those of you that do, allow me to re-introduce myself. My name is David Ishihara, leader of the now-famed Brave Adventurers. And I have come here to inform you that due to circumstances, I must depart from this world with my comrades for a while. But fear not, for this is the new dawn of the day on which we decide our fate. Many of the lessons we have learned during our long period of hardships and sacrifices. And now we face choices, choices which must be made as our hearts dictate, and not abandoned to uncaring chance." David spoke, before he clenched his right hand into a fist. "Let us forge ahead with unflinching courage, and honor the fallen with action. With these hands...we shape the future!"

Keisuke merely smiled. "And I believe that... David." Keisuke smiled. "Even if only myself remember what has happened before... I'm sure that you'll be able to carve a new future."

He then walked up to where Hudie used to be, as the front sign was not there, and the room seemed to look like a office in preparation, as there were cardboard boxes in place of desktops in each of the booths. As he walked into Erika's room, he opened it, as the room was a storage closet for more boxes, before he then noticed a desktop that was turned off in front of him.

"Erika..." Keisuke said, as tears began to fall down from his eyes, as he smiled sadly. "I guess this is what has happened to them all... They're all gone. I bet Ryuji is going to say that Erika wasn't his little sister, since he has none."

Keisuke began to laugh with sadness, before he clutched his face with his hands, as he cried into them, before a blue glowing butterfly flew past his shoulder, before it then entered the monitor, as it turned itself on.

Keisuke then raised his head, as he saw that the monitor was displaying a image in the crossroads of the world, except that everyone was there, Ryuji, him, Chitose, Richard and the others, along with Erika and Wormmon, as their partner Digimons could be seen behind them all.

Keisuke looked at the picture on the monitor, before it then blinked out, as Keisuke lost his feeling of sadness, as it was replaced by a sense of hope, as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve, as he smiled.

"...That's right.. Richard and Erika did this for my sake. Since they gave me a new life filled with happiness." Keisuke said to himself, as he chuckled to himself. "It would be a waste if I didn't enjoy it. Isn't that right, all of you?"

"Hey, what are you doing!?" Chitose asked, as Keisuke turned to see him with Ryuji and Yu, who were waiting for them. "Come on!"

"Coming!" Keisuke cried, as he immediately shut the door behind him, as he went to the group, as they turned to leave the mall, and the former Hudie store. "So... what are we eating this time?"

"We're going to have some meat. I know another place that you'll all enjoy." Ryuji suggested.

"Oh, meat again? I was hoping for sushi." Yu sighed, depressed at the choice.

"Make sure you finish the potatoes as well, Yu." Ryuji reminded Yu.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you." Yu answered back with a uncaring tone.

Keisuke merely giggled, as Chitose sighed. "Oh, come on. Can't we just have one day without the two of you arguing?" He asked both of them.

"Can't help them, I guess." Keisuke answered back. "They're just like oil and water. So about the job as a tech in Kamishiro..."

Suddenly, something vibrated in his jacket pocket, as he immediately pulled the source out, as he gasped at what it was: His Digivice.

"Keisuke? You alright?" Chitose asked Keisuke. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"No.. I was just thinking about something." Keisuke responded back. "Something that I have been remembering.

Keisuke then exited the mall, as he stopped, while looking up to the skies.

' _I guess I owe you again for this, Richard?_ ' Keisuke thought. ' _Well, wherever you are, I bet you're taking good care of my partner, Erika, and the other Digimon. I swear... we'll be able to see each other again..._ '

The wind blew, as a blue butterfly flew up the skies, as it flied among the peaceful and clear skies, searching for a place which it could truly call home.

 _(From here, expect the usual Hacker Memory's credits, except with the modified scenes, as well as the song being Koji Wada's Butterfly Final Version, in the Digimon Movie)_

* * *

 **Unmei Force: Encoded Memories**

 **E N D**


End file.
